Ralf Schumacher in Toyota Motorsports Festival 2006!30.11.2006

A White-Hot MotoGP bike Battle!

During the afternoon, the "Inter-Category Race," one of the featured events of the festival, was held. In the final match, Ralf competed agaist Norifumi Abe (World Superbike rider) and his Yamaha MotoGP in a one-on-one fight. The key to winning this race is the start, and Ralf made good use of his starting technique, polished behind the wheel of the TF106, to get off the line quickly, while Abe was spinning the wheels and only slightly sliding the rear of the MotoGP bike out of the box. After the start, both were in a virtual tie. The fans in the main grandstand marveled at the overwhelming power of the Moto GP bike and the TF106, representing two completely different categories, speeding side-by-side while throwing rooster tails of water back onto the wet track. While Ralf won the race by a slim two-tenths of a second, the intensity far exceeded what the festival planners had in mind, and the fans couldn't hide their excitement.

Kazuki Nakajima Appears in the F1 Special Run!

After the Inter-Category Race, fans were treated to a big surprise in the "F1 Special Run." While it had already been reported that Kazuki Nakajima, a member of the TDP (Toyota Young Drivers Program), will be a Williams test driver next season, the Williams car that will be running a Toyota engine was secretly brought to the festival. In a full Williams racing uniform, Nakajima charged out onto the course behind the wheel of the Williams car for a demonstration drive. During the demonstration drive, Nakajima spun after hitting a patch of oil on the course, but Nakajima performed splendidly in his first time driving an F1 car under rainy conditions, and made a strong impression on the Toyota motorsports fans. The cowl of the Williams car featured the "Powered by TOYOTA" slogan, and the back of the rear wing sported the famous TOYOTA logo.

After his drive, Nakajima indicated that preparations have been progressing smoothly going into next season, saying "The difference between GP2 and F1 is actually less than the difference between F3 and GP2. I have been able to communicate well with the Williams staff."

The TF106 Tears through the Rain!

After Nakajima completed his demonstration drive, it was finally time for Ralf and the TF106. Ralf followed the same starting procedures as a real F1 race. After three laps to shake down the car, Ralf drove a formation lap, and then pulled into the starting grid. With the wave of the green flag, the five red starting signals lit up in order, and the instant the five lights went out, Ralf...actually paused for a few seconds and made a rather easygoing start off the line. During the five laps, Motoyasu Moriwaki addressed the crowd, explaining how drivers approach racing in the rain. All the while, Ralf was amazing the crowd, driving with the same intensity as he would in a real F1 race.

After finishing his drive and returning to the main straight, Ralf starting spinning donuts, just as he promised he would. Shaking hands with Nakajima, Ralf then faced all of the guests, and promised great things for next season. Here is where Ralf ended his Toyota Motorsports Festival 2006. After two seasons, Ralf has become an integral part of the Panasonic Toyota Racing team, and from all appearances, Ralf really enjoyed himself at the event, maintaining a genial expression the entire day, and not minding the rain one bit.

F1 Simulator

At the "TOYOTA Human Pavilion" located in the paddock area, fans had the chance to climb into a full-scale Panasonic Toyota Racing F1 replica car, virtually experiencing F1 racing while watching monitors installed at the front of the "F1 Simulator." The simulator was a fan favorite, with long queue all day. Realistic accelerator, brakes, up/ down shifting, and steering helped the simulator magnificently recreate the F1 driving experience.

Tire Changing

The F1 Simulator was also used for the "Tire Changing Experience." In teams of two people (one pulling off the tire and the other loosening the wheel nut), fans got a taste of how it really is to change the tires on an F1 car.

Fan Club, Team Toyota/ F1 Car Seminar

DTC Noritoshi Arai, known to fans through his "Arai Report," explained the structure of the Panasonic Toyota Racing F1 car. The fans appeared to be very interested in learning about the roles of the wings and other aerodynamic parts, the steering, and other technical aspects that help an F1 car reach more than 300km per hour on the course.