Techs, Dust and Aussie Rules
Panasonic Toyota Racing's new driver line-up of Jarno Trulli
and Timo Glock were flat-out in Melbourne - before the Australian
Grand Prix weekend even got under way at Albert Park.
The start of a new Formula 1 season always means a busy few
days for the team, with the mechanics at the track working
hard to ensure everything is ready, and the drivers doing
their bit to engage the local and international media.
For Toyota's new driver Timo, the week started behind the
wheel in unfamiliar circumstances on Monday. The 25-year-old
German was given the chance to try his hand at rallying, joining
three-times Australian rally champion Neal Bates behind the
wheel.
On a specially-designed course at Werribee Park, to the west
of Melbourne, Timo was first given some pointers by the expert
before getting the chance to take the wheel of the impressive
Super 2000 Auris.
The dust and oppressive heat of the Victoria countryside
did little to limit Timo's enthusiasm for the car and even
after the day's activities had officially drawn to a close,
he put in some unscheduled laps just for fun, impressing seasoned
rally observers with his natural flair for sideways driving.
On Tuesday Timo had another new car to drive, this time the
supercharged new TRD HiLux, which also doubles as his company
car for the week. Timo visited the Toyota Racing Development
(TRD) plant in Altona on the outskirts of Melbourne to meet
the racing and performance vehicle department of Toyota Australia.
As well as learning the secrets of how the powerful TRD Hilux
was upgraded by the technicians at TRD, he also completed
the car's official line-off ceremony.
Jarno had his turn on Wednesday, going back to his roots
as a world champion karter on the new kart track adjacent
to the Albert Park Grand Prix circuit. Driving one of his
own Trulli Karts, he gave some expert tips to some of Australia's
most promising up-and-coming drivers from the Toyota Leopard
Series.
Toyota Leopard Series winner David Sera was presented by
Jarno with a brand new Toyota Yaris as his prize for winning
the championship before moving on to a restaurant on the Yarra
river to give a small group of Australian media a crash course
in the intricacies of wine.
At the same time, Timo was being shown the basics of Australian
Rules football by local heroes, and national cup holders,
St Kilda. Of course, with a Toyota Grand Prix debut just days
away, Timo steered clear of the rough and tumble action Aussie
Rules is famous for but, just a few days before the start
of the AFL season, St Kilda star Matt McGuire, showed him
the ropes at Moorabbin Oval.
Next up is something much more familiar for Jarno and Timo,
who will return to the cockpit of the team's new TF108 when
practice for the Australian Grand Prix begins on Friday.
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