17/03/2002

Malaysian Grand Prix - Race

Both Allan McNish and Mika Salo made it to the finish line of the Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang today. McNish who started in 19th position ended an eventful race in a superb 7th but Salo finished three laps down in 12th place after an electronics problem affected his day.

Allan McNish - Car No. 25

Position:	7th 1:35.38.086 55 laps
Chassis:	TF102/05

"Obviously I am pretty happy considering where we started on the grid. The car felt more comfortable to drive - a lot more than it was in qualifying and on Friday. Today I was able to race with cars that I didn't think I'd be racing with at this stage. We can now look ahead to Brazil with a lot more confidence."

Mika Salo - Car No. 24

Position:	12th 1:35.39.091 53 laps
Chassis:	TF102/04

"It was a reasonable day. The early laps were very good and I was keeping up easily with the guys in front of me and making some passes. I had an electronic problem with the traction control after the first pit stop which ruined my race really. But it is encouraging to see our two cars finish and good for the team."

Ove Andersson President
"It is only our second race and we got both cars past the finish line. Okay we had some problems - an electrics problem on Mika's car and a bit of confusion during Allan's final pit stop but that is all part of the learning process. We were actually competitive in the race and in a points scoring position before those problems so it is a very good result for the whole team."

Weather: Dry hot and humid

Weather:	Dry race. Average
Temperatures:	Air 33°C Track 40°C
Humidity:	Humidity 52%
T-car:	Chassis TF102/02 set up for Mika Salo

Review
Mika Salo ended free practice in 5th position on Friday with Allan McNish in 11th. McNish experienced transmission problems in qualifying and only managed 19th spot whilst Mika Salo found a good car set-up and put his TF102 in 10th place.

Preview
Panasonic Toyota Racing will test next week at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona Spain. The three-day session begins on Wednesday with test driver Ryan Briscoe. Mika Salo will wrap up the session on 21 and 22 March.