Australian Grand Prix - Free Practice Round-Up
Today's Weather: Hot and sunny, air 30-37C, track 31-48C
Toyota's Best Australian GP qualifying: 2nd, Jarno Trulli,
2005 Toyota's Best Australian GP race result: 3rd, Ralf Schumacher,
2006 Take Note: Today's TF108 is the specification tested
in Barcelona last month, featuringrevised bodywork and mechanical
improvements from the car rolled out in January.
Jarno Trulli (Car 11, Chassis TF108-02)
Summary: Trouble-free practice until late spin, 7th quickest
in P2 P1 10th Best Lap Time: 1m 29.014s (+2.553s) Laps: 23
P2 7th Best Lap Time: 1m 28.292s (+1.733s) Laps: 22 "That
was a difficult day because we have been trying to balance
the car while fighting a bit with tyre graining. We tried
some things to improve it but I'm not satisfied with the balance
yet. I ended up in the gravel because I touched the grass
near the end of the second session. Now I just hope we can
have a better day tomorrow. We've made some good progress
over the winter time and the testing we have done in Europe
has been positive. The car seems more competitive, especially
in race conditions, so I'm optimistic heading into the first
grand prix of the season."
Timo Glock (Car 12, Chassis TF108-04)
Summary: Solid first day's practice for Toyota, taking 10th
in P2 P1 8th Best Lap Time: 1m 28.913s (+2.452s) Laps: 16
P2 10th Best Lap Time: 1m 28.582s (+2.023s) Laps: 28 "This
was my first day of running here in Australia and my first
free practice session for Toyota so it was completely different
to what I'm used to in GP2 and testing. So it was an unusual
situation but overall it felt okay. It is still difficult
for me in terms of getting the car right for my driving style.
But we are continuously improving and today felt better than
the last test so I can start to get a better feeling for the
car. The last run wasn't too bad but I think everyone will
be complaining about graining and it is the same for us."
Dieter Gass, Chief Engineer Race and Test
"Overall it was a positive day for us but the sessions
did not go without problems. It was a pity that Jarno spun
because he was on a long run and we were collecting tyre data.
We also had a problem with a wheel bearing on Timo's car this
morning which is why he had to stop slightly early. Still,
we can be quite satisfied with how the car behaved. It's hard
to comment on how the cars line up because, as usual in Melbourne,
the circuit was developing throughout the day as rubber went
down. People were obviously running on different fuel levels
so it will be hard to analyse today's timesheets. But I'm
not expecting too many issues with the heat because everyone
was prepared for similar conditions in Malaysia next week
anyway."
Panasonic Toyota Racing, featuring… Double Act
Debut This weekend marks the start of a new era for Panasonic
Toyota Racing with its new driver line-up. Jarno and Timo
have already built a strong working relationship, the combination
providing a perfect blend of youth and experience. The positive
energy created by the new pairing has been clear throughout
winter testing, with the result that significant improvements
have been made to TF108 set-up since the car was rolled out.
Team Manager Richard Cregan says: "It
works both ways. You have a good transfer of knowledge from
the more experienced driver to the younger driver but you
have a very good shift of enthusiasm in the other direction
because you know it's new and exciting."
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