15/08/2004

Grand Prix of Hungary - Race Round-Up

Olivier Panis (Car 17 Chassis TF104/09B)
Session Classification: 11th +1 lap (from race winner)
Grid: 13th
"I didn't get a very good start and lost a couple of places but I was able to negotiate my way through the first corner without any issue. From then on it was a case of doing my best to recover positions. I think everybody in the team did a very good job. We had one or two problems over the race weekend but nothing major. It was a shame that we had to start from 13th because we looked good during the race this afternoon. With the speed that the TF104B has we have a car that is able to score points if we start from a higher grid position."

Ricardo Zonta (Car 16 Chassis TF104/10B)
Session Classification: DNF +39 laps (from race winner)
Grid: 15th
"I am naturally disappointed with the outcome of today's Hungarian Grand Prix. It was not the way I had planned to make my race debut for the team. I got a good start and made up a few positions on the run down to the first corner. Things got very tight through turn 1 and I was hit from behind by a Jordan which sent me into a spin and to the back of the field. I then had a lot of overtaking to do something that is very difficult at this track. In the end I was making progress but the car suddenly lost all power and I had to stop. The problem appears to have been caused by electronics but we must first study all the data to be precise. I have settled into my new role as race driver quite easily thanks to the team and I am looking forward to a much stronger performance in Spa."

Tsutomu Tomita - Team Principal
"It was always going to be a difficult race for us today. After the first lap it got even harder. Ricardo made an excellent start but had a coming together with another car at the first corner which lost a lot of places. Olivier did not get such a good start and also lost some positions. We then spent the first half of the race trying to get past slower cars. Unfortunately Ricardo had blistering on his tyres so we brought forward his second pit stop but ultimately an electronics problem put him out of the race. After the first couple of stints with Olivier when we were able to get him into free air his pace compared to the other Michelin runners was actually very good. Our weekend really went wrong when we didn't perform well in qualifying but in the second part of the race we showed that if we qualify where we should we are capable of racing nearer the front. We have to ensure this happens over the next five races starting at the next event in Belgium."

T-car: TF104/07 (set-up for Olivier Panis)