07/03/2003

Australian Grand Prix - First Qualifying Report

First top ten of 2003!

The opening day of the 2003 Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne's Albert Park circuit heralded the start of a brave new world for Formula 1.

Following major revisions to both the sporting regulations and the structure of the race weekend Panasonic Toyota Racing has begun the new-look F1 season highly positively with new drivers Olivier Panis (1m27.352) and Cristiano Da Matta (1m27.478) eighth and eleventh quickest respectively.

The new format sees an all-new qualifying procedure with a driver's grid position influenced by sessions on both Friday and Saturday afternoons. Although Friday does not ultimately count towards grid position it is significant in that the man who is quickest in Friday's single-lap session will go last in Saturday's one-lap pole position shoot-out when track conditions will normally be at their quickest.

However a new rule introduced by the FIA the sport's governing body means that teams cannot refuel their cars between Saturday qualifying and the race meaning that cars will run in their optimum lightweight configuration on Friday afternoon. Fridays therefore will give perhaps the best indication of a car's ultimate potential - a very different scenario to recent years.

With that in mind the Panasonic Toyota Racing drivers can be highly encouraged by the first day performance of the new TF103 chassis. Olivier Panis actually lost time in the first sector of the lap as a result of some understeer and had he matched team-mate Da Matta's time for that portion of the circuit would actually have ended up third quickest. The Brazilian meanwhile was only a couple of tenths down on the time of fastest man and compatriot Rubens Barrichello after the first two sectors but lost out in sector three.

Panis explained: "I found more understeer than I expected through the tight first part of the lap and I couldn't get the car turned-in as I wanted but the rest of the lap was okay and I think we can all be encouraged by the potential. Cristiano also did a very good job on his first time at this track."

Da Matta himself said: "Obviously not being so familiar with the track meant that it was important for me to try and keep everything together so I'm happy with it. But on the other hand I'm a racing driver and we are never satisfied. What is better than the result for me is to see the potential of the car and the team."

Team Principal Ove Andersson was overjoyed with the result. "I think generally speaking the car and drivers showed very good potential. Both Olivier and Cristiano were really flying and I think it is a good beginning to the weekend. Considering Cristiano had only 24 laps to learn the track this morning I am very impressed with his performance."

Five times world champion Michael Schumacher had to be content with fourth fastest time on the first day of the new season as he aims at a record-breaking sixth title leaving the opening day glory to Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro team mate Rubens Barrichello (1m26.372).

Kimi Raikkonen (1m26.551) was second fastest for West McLaren Mercedes ahead of 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve (1m26.832) in the first of the Lucky Strike BAR Honda entries. Villeneuve's team-mate Jenson Button (1m27.159) managed fifth fastest time as the pair sandwiched Schumacher Senior. David Coulthard completed the top six in the second McLaren-Mercedes.

Australian Grand Prix - Qualifying 1