Well, I can’t say that we were pleased with the results of the race at San Marino. Ralf was assessed a penalty, and Jarno had trouble with oversteer throughout the entire race, which kept him from being able to push his car for speed. Our data revealed that Jarno’s oversteer problem was the result of tires that were not optimally suited for the conditions. Barcelona, however, is a track to which our cars are particularly suited; we really want to make the most of this opportunity for a podium finish.

• Enhanced aerodynamics; holding off on new engine specs.
Up through last year, the Catalunya Circuit had been famous for its extremely rough track surface. It goes without saying that the surface was murder on tires. However, the circuit was resurfaced early this year, and now has become extremely smooth, with completely different characteristics than in the past. Now, tires—even softer compounds—hold up extremely well. Last year, long-run tests under projected race conditions showed that tires began to deteriorate about half way through the run. This year is a completely different story. The longer we run on a set of tires, the better our times have been. Michelin has provided three types of compounds and two types of casings (the structure of the tire) for this race. The two types of tires we selected have both proven to be excellent. During our tests at Jerez, we evaluated these tires as well as a damper.

Most of the changes over the last two weeks have focused on aerodynamics, with modifications to the winglets around the side pods and to the diffuser. Our goal has been to increase downforce by developing parts that will be effective on the mid- to high-speed corners of the Catalunya Circuit. Originally, we only planned on having enough new aerodynamic parts for two cars in time for the race. But we received parts for the third car on Thursday, and a spare set on Friday. I have to give every compliment I can to our machining department. They have done a tremendous job, and have been extremely supportive. We have been working on new engine specifications, but some concerns about reliability have led us to the decision to hold off implementation for now.

In designing settings for Barcelona, you have to be able to skillfully balance downforce for mid- to high-speed cornering, while being able to get the most speed possible on the long straights. This is a really tricky combination, and very important to doing well on this course.

• A really good Friday. A tough cost-benefit decision on the tires.
As always, we kept our regular drivers off the track Friday morning, waiting for conditions to improve. Ricardo ran into some hydraulic problems and couldn’t go out, so all three of our cars ended up staying in the pits. We were able to take care of Ricardo’s car in short order, so he drove Friday afternoon without any problems. He ran enough to make up for the lost time Friday morning, and in the end we got all of our testing done. Both types of tires had certain strengths and weaknesses, which made a final decision very difficult. Each type of tire demonstrated a set of characteristics we hadn’t seen before—the best tire seemed to depend on the track temperature. Today, the track temperature was around 42°C. Weather forecasts call for overcast skies on Sunday, so we have to take that into account. With the rough track last year, we had problems with tire degradation (tire “sag”), but this year we haven’t seen any degradation, and the longer we run, the better we get. The new parts have been performing well, without any issues. At this point, I am fairly confident going into qualifying.

• Trulli takes provisional pole, with Ralf in 4th position. But with four cars within 0.1 seconds of each other, it’s going to be a free-for-all.
We didn’t like the track conditions during Saturday’s first free run session, so we didn’t do much on the course. We were able, however, to do our testing during the second free session of the day. First, we checked the balance of the cars, and then we took some attack runs on new tires. Here, Ralf marked the best lap time. Jarno lost a bit of time due to understeer, but we were able to make the adjustments that Jarno felt comfortable with. Last, we checked the balance of the cars again.

Both Ralf and Jarno performed flawlessly during their attack runs at Saturday afternoon qualifying. It was a bit of bad luck that Ralf ran into some wind during his run. I am a bit concerned about reports indicating track grip was better during the morning free sessions. Jarno had been telling us since morning that his engine felt a little sluggish. Looking at the Pitot tube data, we noted a change in pressure; the stronger wind added drag, which appeared to hold down speed over the straights.

All in all, I have to say that I am extremely satisfied. With all cars going light on fuel, I think we have proven our speed, coming out with the fastest attack run, and winning the provisional pole after round one of qualifying. This is the first achievement of its kind for Toyota—a real historic event for us. At fourth position, Ralf is within 0.1 seconds of Jarno, and I expect a knock-down, drag-out fight tomorrow. I feel that we are closing the gap on Renault. I feel like Panasonic Toyota Racing has developed the capability to win in the F1 series.

We will be approaching tomorrow’s second round of qualifying from the standpoint of preparing for the race, so it won’t simply be a matter of car performance. Even more than winning pole position, our goal is to win the race. As long as we’re among the four cars all within 0.1 seconds of each other, I think we have an excellent shot at winning. The Michelin tires haven’t shown any sign of sag, so I don’t think tires will even be an issue tomorrow. Unfortunately, the weather is expected to be worse than today, so I’m a bit anxious to see how far temperatures will drop. Track temperature could be the key to the race.

I’ll be back here tomorrow with my post-race report from Barcelona. Until then…