After starting an hour later than other teams to ensure proper track temperature, Panasonic Toyota Racing resumed its testing programme today at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona with drivers Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli at the wheel. Today the focus continued to be on tyre testing with the team trying to find the conclusive tyre choice for the season start in Bahrain. With both drivers reaching the 100 lap mark, there is quite a lot of data that can be used for further analysis.
GETTING A GRIP
A small spin early in the day could not stop Ralf Schumacher from finishing 100 laps.
Ralf Schumacher - Chassis TF106/03
Best lap time: 1m15.973s
Total laps: 100
Total distance: 462.7kms
"We had a good day of running here, and I was able to put in 100 laps of the track. I spent the day working on tyre set-ups to prepare for the upcoming first race. Although I had a small spin this morning, this test is giving me the chance to come to grips with the new car, to understand it better and to adapt my driving style. So far I am pleased with the new aerodynamics on the car and eager to see how things develop before the first race."
ALL WORK AND NO PLAY
Jarno Trulli concluded his second day of testing, putting in good mileage and working hard for the coming first race.
Jarno Trulli - Chassis TF106/04
Best lap time: 1m16.057s
Total laps: 104
Total distance: 481.208kms
"Today we are hapspy with the testing and results. We were pushing hard today and evaluating the tyre choice for Bahrain. We will soon be heading to the first race and I am feeling rather confident. Of course we have a few things to work on, but the car is showing that it is reliable. It would be wonderful to start the season again with good results, so that is why we are pushing hard in preparation for the season."
TURNING UP THE HEAT
John Howett, Team President, gives his impression on the final phase of testing before the season premiere in Bahrain.
"With two weeks now before the start of the season, we are seeing the benefits of the new aerodynamic package and I have to say that we are quite pleased. Of course preparations never stop in Formula 1, but we feel that we are on schedule for the first race. The development of this car has been quite challenging, yet we are coming to a good reliable race package. We have worked really hard this winter and one of our goals is to be one of the fastest teams on Bridgestone tyres as well as to be in a position to win a race this year. Nevertheless, other teams have also been working hard; therefore, we will have to see how the season unfolds and who will be most competitive." |
