Spanish Grand Prix - Free Practice Round-Up
Today's Weather: Dry and sunny, air 18-25°C, track 24-39°C
Toyota's Best Spanish GP qualifying: 4th, Ralf Schumacher,
2005
Toyota's Best Spanish GP race result: 3rd, Jarno Trulli, 2005
Take Note: The TF108 features a major aerodynamic upgrade
here, including changes to the front wing, engine cover, chimney
and rear wheel rim covers
Jarno Trulli (Car 11, Chassis TF108-05)
Summary: Ran free from technical problems en route to 14th
place
P1 14th Best Lap Time: 1m 23.141s (+2.492s) Laps: 15
P2 14th Best Lap Time: 1m 23.224s (+1.289s) Laps: 34
"Today was a bit of a struggle for us. It was windy
out there and that helped make the car hard to set up. So
we will have to go through the data and try to understand
where we can improve for tomorrow. My test here last week
was disrupted by the weather but overall it looked promising
so I'm confident that we can keep moving forwards. Our results
this year show we have a strong car and like most teams we
have a new package here. Now we need to keep doing our job
well throughout the weekend to get a good result."
Timo Glock (Car 12, Chassis TF108-06)
Summary: Struggled for balance and ended the afternoon in
20th
P1 11th Best Lap Time: 1m 23.002s (+2.353s) Laps: 21
P2 20th Best Lap Time: 1m 23.883s (+1.948s) Laps: 40
"It was hard work out there today. The car went well
at last week's test but the track feels completely different
now and there is a general lack of grip. It is the same for
everyone but it was a struggle to find the right balance for
most of the day until we made a change for the last run. That
was an improvement but now we will have to work hard to find
the right direction for tomorrow and the race."
Dieter Gass, Chief Engineer Race and Test
"That was a difficult day. We struggled a bit to find
the right balance for the car, which is disappointing after
having tested here last week. Conditions have changed since
then and there is less grip but we will now have to look at
the data from today and last week and make improvements for
tomorrow. Nevertheless I don't think it is as bad as the timesheets
show today. There are some cars around us which can give us
a good reference so I'm not too concerned about the car's
performance."
Panasonic Toyota Racing, featuring... Life Away from
the Circuit
Whether it is giving interviews, posing for photographs or
appearing at sponsor functions, Panasonic Toyota Racing's
Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock are kept busy all year round.
Starting out on his career in karting, it is safe to assume
Timo did not dream of driving a 350kmh race car in a city
centre - at night. But that is what he did only a few weeks
into life at Toyota. "It was pretty special," says
Timo of his work for the team's annual marketing film. "It
was tricky because it's tight and slippery and we had to be
careful. But the run over the bridge was exciting and I enjoyed
driving between the buildings."
Some engagements are more fun than others, as Timo found
out in Australia on the eve of his race debut for the team.
His 10 hours of appearances gave him a crash course in the
driver's off-track demands; countless interviews, training
with an Australian Rules football team, visiting a local Toyota
plant and trying out a Toyota Auris rally car on a dirt track.
"I am happy to help and sometimes I get a nice surprise,"
says Timo. "Driving the rally car was the most fun -
I even went back after the media had left and had another
go!"
|