07/03/2004

Grand Prix of Australia - Race Report

The opening Grand Prix of the new Formula 1 season in Melbourne proved a tough one for the new Toyota TF104 with drivers Cristiano da Matta and Olivier Panis coming home in 12th and 13th positions respectively.

The Panasonic Toyota Racing team knew that the race was going to be difficult after problems in qualifying meant that Olivier Panis was forced to start from eighteenth position on the grid.

The Frenchman said: "After the testing in Europe I was really hoping for a bit more but things conspired against us this weekend. There looks to be a big gap to make up to the performance level of the top team but it is a long season in front of us and we know we will be working very hard. Melbourne is not a typical circuit for a number of reasons and there is no reason to be too downhearted. I have faith in Mike Gascoyne and the technical team and I'd like to say a thank-you to all the guys in the pits for working so hard even if there was no reward for them today other than a two-car finish."

Panis's start near the back of the field meant that he elected to use a two-stop race strategy in order to try to make up some places while Brazilian Da Matta ran a three-stop race pitting on laps 12 24 and 42 of the 58-lap race.

"To be honest he said, it didn't make a lot of difference what we did today because we just did not have the pace. I also lost a couple of places when I stalled the car at the first pit stop. The race was pretty uneventful for me and the biggest problem was lack of grip. We know what we need to do to make progress and I can guarantee you that we will do all we can to improve."

The race proved that Michael Schumacher and Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro are as formidable a force as ever the German six-time champion heading home team mate Rubens Barrichello in a 1-2 finish for the red cars. The other podium place was claimed by Spaniard Fernando Alonso for the Mild Seven Renault F1 Team. BMW Williams F1 Team drivers Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya finished fourth and fifth with Briton Jenson Button completing the top six for Lucky Strike BAR Honda. Jarno Trulli finished seventh in the second Renault and the final point was taken by David Coulthard for the West McLaren Mercedes team.

Technical Director Chassis Mike Gascoyne summed up a difficult opening race for Pansonic Toyota Racing like this: "Before anyone came here the talk was of reliability and how important that will be over the course of the year. The positive for us was that we demonstrated solid reliability and we will be looking to retain it while improving the performance level.

"The major problem was lack of grip and I think that is what handicapped us most. The Sepang circuit in Malaysia will present us with a very different kind of challenge in a fortnight's time as will the European circuits on the calendar. We already have a busy programme of development in progress and I am sure it won't be too long before we see the benefits."

Testing resumes next week in Valencia Spain with Ryan Briscoe and Ricardo Zonta assuming the driving duties on March 10 and 11 before the Malaysian Grand Prix gets underway at the impressive Sepang circuit in two weeks' time.