Rd.12 German Grand Prix 2003
25/07/2003
Olivier Panis looks ahead to Hockenheim
Silverstone was a fantastic race for Panasonic Toyota Racing. Before the start of the season we never thought that we would be able to run first and second in a grand prix this year so it was a very special moment for us all.
Everyone did a fantastic job all weekend and I think the race proved to everyone that we are improving a lot as a team. We used some new aero parts which improved the handling of the car everywhere and it meant that we were able to run at the pace of the front-runners in the race. I'm not saying that we are as quick as the top teams but I think Panasonic Toyota Racing has established itself as a real championship points contender which is where we hoped to be at this stage of our development.
Both Cristiano and I have had very busy schedules in the last few weeks and after working on each of the past four weekends - the European GP the French GP the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the British GP - it has been great to have some time at home since Silverstone.
Although we have had no test programme this week I am still very confident for next weekend's German Grand Prix. The car should be very good. We can fine-tune all the new aero parts that we ran at Silverstone and we have an engine development coming for Germany which will be a big improvement. I tested it during testing at Barcelona the week before Silverstone and I have to say that the new engine is much more driveable throughout the rev range.
As for the Hockenheim track I still haven't got used to the new layout which was introduced for the first time last year. It has a completely different feel to the old one because it is much wider and not as fast. The old one was all long straights and late braking points and gave you a real feeling of speed. When I drove on the shorter 4.574-km layout for the first time last year I have to say that I didn't like it. I found it very difficult to find a rhythm. But the more laps I did the more I liked it and you can be sure that if I am quick next weekend I will love it!
The width of the track gives you good overtaking opportunities because there are several lines through most of the corners. It also has lots of changes in camber which make it quite technical and difficult to set-up the car. It is a maximum downforce track like a lot of circuits these days because the cars have super-slippery aerodynamics that make it possible to run lots of wing without being slowed too much on the straights. We have some more aero parts for Hockenheim including a new rear wing which will enable us to increase downforce levels for this race. So I expect our car to be quick although we need to find a way of preserving our rear tyres a bit better.
As a team Panasonic Toyota Racing has scored four points in three of the last four races. I took a point at both Canadian and French events and Cristiano took two points at Silverstone. Only seven points separate us from 5th place in the constructors' championship so I hope that we can continue this points-winning trend in Germany.