Our most anticipated season opener to date

The new chassis regulations for this year have resulted in significant changes to the look of the cars. While the rear wing has become smaller, the front wing is comparatively larger, with a comparatively more complex design.

This year’s chassis, the new TF109, has been the subject of even greater critical acclaim than we expected. Our recent testing has given us further confidence from our winter test results. Our goal this year is nothing short of “victory,” and we all feel that the TF109 is at a level where we can accomplish our goal. I was almost beside myself Thursday prior to the first day of the first race weekend of the season, realizing that we were going to be out competing again on the circuit at last.
But tests are just that—tests. Nothing is guaranteed once the racing starts, and no matter how often you check and re-check, the result is never certain until the end of the race. This is our first year of racing F1 on slick tires, which have been brought back under the regulations this year. It is also the first time ever that the front wing flaps can actually be adjusted during a grand prix.
In addition to these changes, the pit lane speed limit at the Australian GP during qualifying and the race has been increased from 80 km/h to 100 km/h. The effect of this change will force the teams to take another look at how they approach pit stop strategy. There have also been new regulation changes related to the safety car this year, so we approached this grand prix with a bit of apprehension.

The evening session presents difficult conditions

A closer look at the front wing reveals the new structure. A number of elements have been attached to each end of the wing, while the main part of the wing hangs down from the end of the nose via a long stay.

We were off to a fairly good start with the first free practice session of the race weekend. We conducted the entire 90-minute session on the medium (harder) tire compound. We were able to record times on the harder compound that compared favorably with several of the teams running on the softer tire (super-soft compound).
But conditions took a drastic turn during the second practice session, which started at 4:30 pm local time. Things were fine mid-way through the session, but then the conditions quickly deteriorated on course. Normally, rubber builds up on the surface of the track over time, leading to quicker lap times during the latter half of the session. But on this occasion, lap times failed to improve after the first 30 minutes of the session. This was the case not only for our team, but for several others as well. The fact that so few drivers were able to improve on their best lap times during the last stages of the practice session proved to me that the conditions had indeed deteriorated.
Our opinion is that a drop in track surface temperature late in the session is what caused the problem. Normally, track temperatures increase and lap times improve during the last stint of the afternoon session, as long as the weather remains clear. This time around, the session began at 4:30 pm local time, two-and-a-half hours later than normal. The result was that most drivers struggled to improve pace during the last part of afternoon practice. With both Saturday and Sunday sessions scheduled to begin three hours later in the day than in the past, we made sure to keep an eye on conditions going into day two of race weekend.

A shocking last-place position on the starting grid after qualifying so close to the top

The TF109 also employs the shark fin adopted partway through last season. The side pontoons feature a very complex three-dimensional curve to generate aerodynamic effects.

This marked the second consecutive year that we qualified both Panasonic Toyota Racing cars in the top 10 at the Australian GP. We even improved one spot over last year at P6 and P8 (vs. P6 and P9 last year). But, after expecting to be in the thick of the fight for the top spot on the winner’s podium, we were bitterly disappointed. Through the third practice session, Jarno Trulli had been happy with the behavior of his car, and we were able to dial in Timo Glock’s settings during the last stint of the third practice. We fully expected both cars to qualify near the front of the grid. Upon his first attack in Q1 (first knock-out qualifying period), Jarno reported back that his car felt completely different, which threw the proverbial monkey wrench into our plans.
In spite of our struggles, we were able to get both cars into the final qualifying period (Q3). After the dust settled from the last attack laps of the top 10 drivers (separated by the merest of margins), Jarno qualified P8, a wholly respectable result when considering he couldn’t attack with 100% confidence. Meanwhile, Timo continued in good form, with only the slightest hiccup being the difference between a top qualifying time. It was a tightly packed fight, with the six cars below the top three qualifiers separated by only 0.2 seconds.
After the end of qualifying, we were notified by the race stewards that our rear wings violated regulations. The penalty assessed completely nullified our qualifying results. We had conducted exhaustive tests on many occasions prior to the race weekend, none of which led us to believe there would be a problem with the rigidity of our wings. The team was extremely frustrated that we lost our qualifying results due to a problem that really had no influence on our performance. Having said that, we accepted the decision of the stewards, and redoubled our determination to fight through to the very last lap of the race.

Our strategy pays off splendidly; but, another baffling ruling

The tire and pit strategies designed to take advantage of the characteristics of the Albert Park Circuit paid off, as Jarno and Timo finished P3 and P5, respectively. All-in-all tremendous results for Panasonic Toyota Racing, until…

After the conclusion of qualifying, we reinforced the section of our wing that was the cause of the ruling divergence, and decided to start our cars from the pit lane at the beginning of the race. Having a somewhat difficult time forecasting how the tires would change performance-wise, and knowing that chances were good for the safety car to come out on the Albert Park Circuit during the race, we used different tires on each car at the start. Jarno sported the super-soft compound to begin the race, while Timo was on the medium compound. Our strategy ultimately paid off, with Jarno on the super-softs at first, and then on the more stable medium tires during the last stint. Helped by a crash between two cars in front, Jarno was able to make a podium finish at P3, while Timo finished in the points as well, at P5. The results were very heartening for the entire Panasonic Toyota Racing team.
Unfortunately, Jarno was assessed a 25-second penalty by the race stewards after end of the race for passing Hamilton during the safety car period. The penalty cost Jarno his hard-fought position, and there are circumstances surrounding the incident that we feel have not been taken into consideration. On Sunday, we announced our intention to appeal the ruling to the International Sporting Court of Appeals. We are currently undertaking procedures to formally appeal the ruling within 48 hours, collecting data to be used as proof of our position.
Our Australian GP began with protests on Thursday and having our qualifying times expunged on Saturday. Then we lost our P3 result on Sunday, finishing the weekend without really having the chance to show our true strength. Even with these disappointments, we demonstrated the type of speed to have both cars finish in the points despite starting from pit lane. This has given us tremendous confidence that we selected the correct path in our chassis development.
The Australian GP was a disappointing result from our perspective, and we feel badly for all of our fans who were so supportive during the weekend. Our cars have shown very good compatibility with the circuit for the upcoming Malaysian GP, and have high expectations to turn in a solid result for our fans. We look forward to and appreciate your continued support for Panasonic Toyota Racing.