22/06/2002

European Grand Prix - Qualifying

Mika Salo will start tomorrow’s European Grand Prix from 10th on the grid with team-mate Allan McNish only three places behind in 13th after a strong qualifying session at the Nurburgring today. It is Mika’s fifth and Panasonic Toyota Racing’s sixth top ten qualifying result of the season.

Mika Salo - Car No. 24

Position:	18th 1m15.111s 10/12 laps completed
Chassis:	TF102/07

"The car was okay today with only some small handling problems. My best time came on the first run when the car was at its best. We found it difficult to balance the car after that - we came close a couple of times but couldn’t quite get there. I am quite happy with 10th place though. We are now back to business after Canada."

Allan McNish - Car No. 25

Position:	13th 1m31.941s 12/12 laps completed
Chassis:	TF102/08

"Not a bad result. From a balance point the car was better again in comparison to both yesterday and this morning’s sessions. We had some intermittent problems with the electronics which we need to work on before the race tomorrow. The car is much more comfortable than yesterday to drive so it should be reasonable for the race."

Ange Pasquali - Team Manager
"I think it is very good to qualify yet again in the top ten. This shows consistency in the work the team is doing this year. Mika and Allan both did a great job in qualifying. I am a bit superstitious so 13th is probably not the best position but joking aside we have to keep cool tomorrow have a good start and be reliable."

Weather:	Dry with occasional sunny spells
Temperatures:	Air - Min 21°C Max 23°C Track - Min 23°C Max 28°C Average humidity 54%
T-car:	TF102/06 set up for Mika Salo

Review
Both drivers worked on different programmes in yesterday’s free practice sessions - Mika was 9th fastest with Allan 18th. After an earlier-than-usual start this morning Mika and Allan put their TF102’s in 6th and 12th positions respectively.