Timo Glock to return to TF108 cockpit22.07.2008

Timo Glock will be back in action on Thursday when he joins day three of Panasonic Toyota Racing’s four–day test at Jerez in Spain.

The 26–year–old spent Sunday night in hospital in Ludwigshafen for precautionary checks after his accident in the German Grand Prix at Hockenheim. He returned home on Monday morning for rest and further medical tests. Those tests have confirmed Timo suffered no injuries or concussion.

Therefore he has been given the all clear to return to the cockpit on Thursday before he competes in the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Immediately after Timo’s incident at Hockenheim, an investigation to determine the cause began at the track and continued at the factory. This has been traced to the right rear toelink/trackrod.

After studying data from the car, it has been determined that there were no exceptional circumstances immediately before the incident and Timo running wide at the last corner on that lap was not the cause.

The team is now conducting a thorough analysis of the loading data from earlier in the race to determine if an event occurred which caused this. All available evidence is being studied to find the cause.

Q+A with Timo Glock

How are you feeling?

I am fine. I spent Sunday night in the hospital but only so the doctors could complete their checks. They ran x–rays and an MRI scan and found no problems at all, so I went home on Monday morning for some rest and more checks with my doctor. It was a really hard impact and my back hurt immediately after I got out of the car but now it is fine. Actually, it looked worse on TV than it really was.

Can you talk us through the incident?

I was running well and looking set for the points but I ran a little wide on the last corner of lap 35. That wasn’t a major problem because most cars were doing that at some stage in the race but I just felt the back of the car go. I tried to catch it but I was not able to. I had no control at that point and was just a passenger. When I saw it later on TV I could see something broke in the right rear suspension.

Are you worried by what happened to you?

I’m not at all concerned because I trust the team completely. We are all working together to improve the car performance and reliability.

What are your plans now?

I have spent a little time at home relaxing and now I am ready to drive again. Physically I feel absolutely fine so I am looking forward to getting back in the car on Thursday. We will be preparing for the Hungarian Grand Prix so it is an important test and I am pleased I can contribute. Then of course I will be racing in Hungary where I expect the same strong performance level and hopefully a points finish.