20/07/2002

Q&A with Ange Pasquali

Are you the first contact for members of the team if they have a problems?
Not at the factory because if people have a problem there they can go to their direct departmental boss. At the races it's a bit different and if someone has a problem there then I am the contact person and I am happy to help them find a solution

How do the different nationalities in the team gel?
Very well. I think that having people from different countries and cultures helps integration because people are forced to respect each other and the different cultures. You make more of an effort with someone from another country than you do a compatriot.

Do you struggle to persuade foreign staff to live in Germany?
It's a choice that people make. When you decide to do something as all-consuming as F1 you have to commit 100 percent. I am from Corsica and I miss my family but when I had the chance to join Toyota I asked myself three questions: 1) do I want it? 2) do I need it? 3) am I capable of doing it? When I had answered these I jumped at the challenge. Panasonic Toyota Racing is a fantastic company to work for and I hope people take pride in that.

Does being based in Cologne create any extra problems for you?
Not at all. I think it is one of the best locations we could have because we have three grands prix nearby: Hockenheim Nürburgring and Spa. The majority of the European races are only a short drive from the factory so geographically we are better off than the teams in England.

Is the team at full strength?
At the end of the season we will take a careful look at the organisation to see where we can improve it. It's important that we get 100 percent from everyone so we might make a few changes over the winter based on what we have learnt this year.

How has the team improved this year?
We have progressed a lot. People are now totally comfortable working together whereas at the beginning of the year there was some miscommunication within the team. That was the cause of the pit-stop error in Malaysia for example which probably cost Allan (McNish) the chance of a points finish.

How do the races vary?
Not every paddock is the same and not every pit garage is the same. Generally our pit is at the exit of the pitlane but at some tracks it has been at the beginning which has required us to make changes. Of course the format of each race weekend is the same but it is my job never to underestimate what we have to do. If you let the routine of a weekend bring on complacency you expose yourself to mistakes.

How would you describe your management style?
As a manager I am quite calm. Before making decisions I try to evaluate the situation completely going into detail and then I act. I'm learning so much every day that it's difficult for me to evaluate my management skills. I am still new to F1 and every grand prix is a new story. I come from rallying and I had my first experience of racing when I joined Toyota's Le Mans programme in 1997. I must say that I learnt a lot from the experienced people in the team particularly Martin Brundle. We worked together for three years and he was so professional and so rational. Everything was so easy with him because he always got to the point in a rational way.

Was the Le Mans programme good preparation for F1?
It was a very good introduction to top level racing. Sure it's only one race a year but you have three cars nine drivers and 100 people in the pits. It requires huge organisation. There is also a very intensive test programme at Le Mans which lasts for nine months and you play all your cards in one week at the race. In terms of how to conduct yourself and how to predict the unpredictable Le Mans is a good school. If I had jumped straight into F1 without my two years at Le Mans I would have found it a bit more complicated.

How has F1 surprised you?
It is more or less as I expected because for two years prior to our arrival I came to the races to check how things worked. It was a big help but one of the things that it didn't teach me was how to deal with the media pressure. It's huge! Of course gaining media exposure is one of the reasons why Toyota decided to go into F1 but you have to learn how to deal with it and that takes time.