Luca Marmorini – Technical Director Engine
Interviewed by TMG Public Relations

Luca, what has the mood been like in the factory after two podium finishes in a row?
The fantastic results we achieved in Malaysia and Bahrain have brought a huge motivation to the whole team. The mood is tremendously upbeat and positive, but our expectations are now equally high. The next race in Imola is of course the first European race of the season and after a three-week break, the strongest teams arrive in Italy with big developments to their packages. It will be an important race to know exactly where we stand. Imola will be a good benchmark for performance during the first European race weekends.

Have you adjusted your targets from just points to podiums?
Realistically, we must keep our feet on the ground, even if in our heart we are thinking about how many podiums we can score this season. We must wait and see what Imola brings, but if we are strong in Imola then I believe we will have some other opportunities to repeat the performance we had in Malaysia and Bahrain. It would be great if we can two cars in the points in Imola.

Do you think Toyota can maintain its excellent results for the rest of the season?
I am confident that there will be some tracks, like Malaysia and Bahrain, where we can perform well, but for the time being I am focussed on Imola, which has traditionally been a tough track for us. With renewed motivation and success, I am keen to see what we can do there. Talking about the engine, after a race like Bahrain with the tremendously hot conditions, I don’t necessarily think that Imola will be a walk in the park for us!

What upgrades are planned for the RVX-05?
Because of the new regulations, we were not able to implement an engine upgrade for Imola, but we will definitely go to Spain with an engine evolution. There will be other subsequent developments with the next probably as soon as the European Grand Prix at the end of May.

Regardless of the new two-race engine rule, how tough is Imola on the engine?
Imola is not a particularly tough track in terms of wide open throttle percentage. It is also not especially hot, so cooling is not an issue. The difficulties come when running over the notorious kerbs because we have to be careful to control the engine rpm. It is easy to misuse the engine, but we have an efficient electronics system to help this. During any race, there are uncertainties and unplanned events that may result in unexpected stress on the engine. Taking into consideration that our Imola engine has already completed a particularly tough race weekend, it will be even more important to take all possible preventative measures into account.

How much effect do the race drivers have in controlling the use of the engine?
We appreciate the care and attention that Ralf and Jarno drive the engine during the race weekend. With the new regulations the effect that the driver has over engine management is much higher than previously. A driver must always push in the race, but at some moments he may not need to overload the engine to maintain his pace. Our drivers are very clever and smart in doing this. The results we have acquired so far have also been due to their handling of the engine.

To what extent have Olivier Panis and Ricardo Zonta contributed to engine development?
Olivier and Ricardo have been fundamental in developing our RVX-05. During test sessions, we are mostly focussed on the reliability of the engine and that means collecting mileage and data in a variety of conditions. Their input and feedback is as vital as that of Ralf and Jarno.

What feedback have you received from Jordan?
So far our work with Jordan has run very smoothly. Our collaboration in the opening three races was a learning phase for both parties to understand how best to work together. We are really glad with the results we have reached. We are also sharing some results with them because the experience and data that is collected from Jordan can be used to improve the engine for Toyota and vice versa. Now we think that Jordan will come with chassis improvements and we are looking forward to supporting them with continued engine upgrades as well.

Luca, how has your technical partner Esso contributed to development of the RVX-05?
To extend the reliability of our engine, whilst retaining the level of performance requires not only a strong effort from the engine department in Cologne, but also a dedicated contribution from the fuel and lubricants supplier. The success we have seen so far this season has only been possible through an intensive collaboration with Esso. Oil is a key issue for engine reliability and we have worked strongly with Esso beyond the pure concept of engine performance.

Mike Gascoyne – Technical Director Chassis
Interviewed by TMG Public Relations

Mike, do you think that Toyota will continue to be competitive in Imola?
After the first three races of the season, it is always a time for reassessment of where we stand relative to our competitors. In three races, we have qualified in the top three at each event and picked up two podium positions. We struggled in the race in Melbourne for different reasons, but our true pace was demonstrated in Malaysia and Bahrain. I honestly do not see any reason why that level of competitiveness should not continue in Imola and beyond. We have understood how the car works with the Michelin tyres. We just have to ensure that our tyre choice for each race is correct, which was perhaps not the case in Melbourne, but if we can do that I do not see why we can’t perform at the same level throughout the season. Imola does not hold any particular fears or worries for me.

What are the technical challenges posed by the Imola circuit?
At Imola, we run slightly higher downforce settings than we have in recent races. It is also hard on the brakes, as in fact Bahrain was and we were comfortable with the brakes there. Temperatures will be cooler, which places less stress on the car. We have several slow speed chicanes and use of the kerbs is an issue, but I feel that we have greatly enhanced the car mechanically and aerodynamically. In the past, Toyota has struggled at circuits like Imola with pronounced kerbs, but I really do not think that should be a problem. When the car is off the pace in Imola, drivers tend to use the kerbs more to compensate and that unbalances the car a lot. When the car is competitive, that is not such a problem.

How well do you expect the TF105 to perform at Imola?
After Australia, Malaysia and Bahrain, we have gone round almost every type of corner there is on the calendar and we have been pretty good at all of them. I do not think that there are any major issues with car. Of course, we need to go even quicker, but stability under braking has been good and traction has been good, both of which are important aspects of the car’s behaviour for Imola.

Does Toyota have any upgrades to the TF105 for Imola?
We have new parts for Imola, but so too will all other teams. It is traditional for everyone to say that they have identified the weaknesses in their package and have put them right in time for San Marino, but I think most teams will be in pretty much the same position in Imola as in the first three races of the year. The only thing I would say will be different is that Bridgestone will improve and consequently Ferrari will be stronger. Ferrari will undoubtedly not remain where they have been all season. They will make progress with car and Bridgestone will also progress with tyres and should emerge once again as a force to be reckoned with.

What specific parts are new to the Imola-spec TF105?
Specifically we have a new diffuser, a new sidepod package, some new wishbones, a new front wing, essentially all modifications aimed at improving the car’s aerodynamics. Overall, it represents a reasonable step forward. Some parts were tested during the post-Bahrain Barcelona and Paul Ricard tests, for example the diffuser and side pods. The front wing will not appear until the race, but we have a lot of confidence in our windtunnel work, so we have no problems with introducing new parts at races.

Is it fair to say that Jarno has the edge on Ralf?
To say that a driver has an edge over the other is totally wrong, just because one driver has had better results over the other after three races. Ralf made a couple of small mistakes in qualifying that has made his races more difficult but in many ways his determined driver to fourth in Bahrain was stronger than Jarno’s race to second because it required much more effort. We have the right environment for them at Toyota. Both are happy with the car and the team and both seem to be enjoying their race weekends. Ralf is not annoyed that Jarno has scored two podiums because he can see the potential and feels part of the team. It is very much a team result, rather than an individual driver result. Ralf is not worried – he knows his time will come.