29/09/2002

United States Grand Prix - Race round-up

Panasonic Toyota Racing achieved a double finish in the United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis but it was a difficult afternoon for the team in the penultimate round of this year's Formula 1 World Championship.

After a tough qualifying hour on Saturday which meant that Allan McNish and Mika Salo started the race in 16th and 19th places respectively it was decided to split the race strategies Allan stopping once and Mika twice.

Salo made strong progress through the field in the early laps up to 13th place by the fourth lap but then started to experience problems.

"I was having a very good race to start with and the car felt fine " the Finn explained. "But after the first stop I had a big misfire for many laps and it wouldn't go away. The guys back in the box did a great job to clear that up but I also had hydraulic pressure problems for most of the race and that ruined any chance of making up places. It's been a good learning weekend so it is disappointing not finishing higher up."

For McNish it was a very different race as he had to cope with car heavier with fuel.

"That was an extremely physical race!" he exclaimed. "From the very start I experienced big differences in the car's balance turning left to turning right. It got progressively worse as the race went on making the car more and more difficult to drive. It was an achievement in itself to get the car home but we should have done better than 15th. The next stop is Japan for the last race of the season and I plan to end on a high."

The team used bi-directional telemetry for the first time on both TF102s to electronically limit the negative effects of the problems both Salo and McNish enabling the team's 6th two-car finish of the season.

The race was another 1-2 finish for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro. Michael Schumacher led the race from start to finish but coming out of the final turn it was Barrichello who took the win by just 0.011s - the closest win since 1986.

David Coulthard finished third for West McLaren Mercedes ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya's BMW Williams F1 entry. Jarno Trulli scored two more points for the Mild Seven Renault F1 Team and Jacques Villeneuve took the final point for British American Racing Honda.

The race confirms Barrichello as second in the drivers championship. The season finale and Toyota's home grand prix takes place at Suzuka on October 13.