Having podium finishes in both Malaysia and Bahrain, I think we have been able to prove what we are capable of as a race team. But, as in every year, every team has come to the San Marino GP, the first race of the European leg of the series, much improved. We are excited to see whether we can keep the same position we’ve reached to this point. But for us, the number one goal—even more important that improving our position in the Constructor’s Championship—is to win a race. We think we have a good chance to reach the top spot on the podium, and we’re eager to get there as soon as possible.

• Curb Strategy is important. A new aerodynamic parts package.
Imola is a circuit that features an extremely low road surface µ (coefficient of friction). On Friday, when the rubber grip still hasn’t accumulated, there is almost no grip, and tire graining can occur quite easily. For this race, Michelin has prepared five different types of compounds and two different types of casings (tire framework, structure). These represent combinations requested by each team; the setup they feel is right for their cars. After Bahrain, we came back and tested both the prime (stable, main tires) setup and the option (capable of quicker bursts of speed) setup at Paul Ricard. We had the impression that these tires have been redesigned quite a bit. As always, Friday sessions hold the key to whether we can put together a setup that can get 100% out of the tires. Since we want to preserve the racecars as much as possible, Ricardo has been playing a very important role as third driver for us.

One key strategy at Imola is how to deal with the curbs. We had already put together a plan, bringing with us a new damper that we tested at Paul Ricard. The characteristics of this damper allows for smooth rides over a curb. Next to Canada and Bahrain, Imola is the toughest circuit on an F1 car braking system. You absolutely have to be able to control temperature and wear factors. In addition, the car’s braking attitude, especially rear stability, is another key factor at Imola. And, of course, traction performance during acceleration is also important.

On the aerodynamics side, rather than putting a tuning package together specifically for Imola, you might say that we have taken the next step in our evolution. The front wing, the area around the side pods, the small wings around the engine, and the diffuser are all completely new. The front wing is going right into the race without any extensive testing. We actually planned on using the new wing for the next race at the Spain GP, but we put a lot of pressure on the development group to get it completed earlier. By Thursday we had two sets, with the spare scheduled to arrive on Saturday, and everything came safely, if in the nick of time. So far, we’ve kept up momentum this season, so the factory personnel have been very excited, and very “gung-ho” about doing whatever needs to be done to get us ready for race day.

• Bad weather forecasted; A difficult tire decision
The main theme for Friday practice sessions is always tire selection. We were able to cross everything off our “to-do” list for all three cars on Friday. During the morning, the grip on the road surface was pretty poor, so we held back on send in our regular drivers until the grip built up. Ricardo took up the slack for us running extra laps. As planned, we were able to start serious long runs during the afternoon session, and we collected all the data we needed. Still, the decision to go with prime or option tires was difficult. In general, prime tires have superior stability, while the option tires provide better bursts of speed. Each choice has both benefits and drawbacks. Right now, the forecast is for bad weather on Sunday, so we are being extra careful about tire selection.

Now, back to the curbs. All three of our drivers have told us that the curbs are “no problem.” However, we also have feedback that the cars are losing stability, if only slightly, going over the bumps in the road. We will be working on a fix for that in what time we have up to the race, but I am sure we will be able to resolve the issue.

• Issued resolved. Definitely possible to move up during qualifying round two.
Practice session three saw dropping track temperatures and debris on the course, so we only ran our cars once around, verifying our setup of practice session four. We didn’t have our balance perfectly wired in for most of Friday, but in the end, we were able to make some adjustments that allowed us to maintain stability over the bumps.

The sky clouded over during the afternoon, and the road temperature slowly cooled down below optimum levels, so we were worried that conditions might deteriorate significantly. However, the conditions remained stable throughout. Jarno was able to attack the course full out. As Ralf started his run, the track cooled, so he was forced to brake slightly in Sector 1 to maintain stability. As a result, he lost a little bit of time, but he paced Jarno’s time on the second half of the course almost exactly. Both Ralf and Jarno have drivers just in front and just behind them, so we think we have an excellent chance to move up in position after the second round of qualifying.

As I mentioned before, we had a hard time making a final decision on tires, but with qualifying being so important in this race, we decided to go with the quicker option tires. When we made the decision, we were somewhat worried that the pace of the race might be slow, but we were able to make some adjustments in that event, so we think we are in a good position for both the second round of qualifying and race.

We are all a bit worried about the weather tomorrow, but the forecast calls for dry conditions during the morning, and most likely dry conditions for the afternoon as well. However, there is still a chance of rain, so we are making plans in the event it rains from time-to-time during the race. In any event, there are a lot of cars within one second of each other right now. We expect some position changes after the second round of qualifying, and believe the race could get very tight. I can think of any number of scenarios, affected by tire wear and engine durability, so I expect a very interesting race.

I will file my post-race report tomorrow, right back here at the official Panasonic Toyota Racing website. Until then…