24/04/2003

Mugello Test 22 - 25 March 2003 - Day 3

Olivier Panis and Cristiano da Matta were again the men in charge of testing duties today for Panasonic Toyota Racing's third day of action at the Mugello circuit in Italy. They continued going through the team's extensive programme in readiness for the next Grand Prix in Barcelona but ended the day with mixed feelings after a few problems and several red flags interrupted their session.

Olivier Panis - Car No. 20
Chassis: TF103/01
Best lap time: 1m23.62 46 laps completed
Working on: tyre evaluations aerodynamic tests

"Today we managed to complete some valuable work with the Michelin tyres that we will use in Spain next week and we also went through some aerodynamic parts checks. But after two good days of work I must admit that we had problems today with some of the mechanical development parts we tried and had to go back to running with more standard specifications. These is the kind of incidents you sometimes have to face in testing though and I look very much forward to the next race to show we are making good progress."

Cristiano da Matta - Car No. 21
Chassis: TF103/03
Best lap time: 1m23.86 65 laps completed
Working on: car set-up and tyre comparisons for Spanish Grand Prix

"I was working on a very similar programme to Olivier's today. We concentrated on checking the Michelin tyres performance and consistency and worked on different set-up items and control systems tuning. Just like my teammate I had a bit of a mixed day and we were not as successful as we hoped with the mechanical elements we tested but we certainly have a lot of information to work on. I will do my utmost to try and conclude this week's test on a high note tomorrow."

Weather: Sunny and warm slightly windy. Air temperature: 12-22C.
Track: Dry at all times. Track temperature: 12-32C.

Preview:
Cristiano da Matta will conclude alone Panasonic Toyota Racing's four-day test at the Mugello circuit tomorrow while Ricardo Zonta will drive the TF103/01 at the Vairano track nearby Mugello to conduct further aerodynamic checks.

Upcoming Events
Next Test:
06-09 May Circuit Paul Ricard France (Panis 2 days da Matta last 2 Zonta 3 days)

Next Race:
02-04 April 2003 Spanish Grand Prix Barcelona