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Returning from a hot grand prix at Magny-Cours, Panasonic Toyota Racing encountered
similar conditions at the start of this week's three-day test programme in Jerez.
Third driver Ricardo Zonta and test driver Olivier Panis were on hand to work
on tyre testing. The team's tyre programme will be the main focus this week due
to the fact that this will be the last test before the summer break. Therefore,
the team will need to collect data for the next three races, which are all expected
to have high temperatures, thus making a big influence on the tyre choice. Ricardo
and Olivier will continue tomorrow while race drivers Ralf Schumacher and Jarno
Trulli will arrive on Friday to finish off the test week.
Ricardo Zonta - Chassis TF106/06
Best Lap Time: 1m18.986s
Total laps: 123
Total distance: 544.644kms
"We put in many laps today on a busy track and in these hot conditions. The
car performed well and I did not have any problems. I worked on long runs the
whole day to compare tyre compounds for the next race. We also did some set-up
work to find a good balance for the car. Tomorrow we are planning on continuing
long runs to take advantage of these condition for the Hungary race as well."
Olivier Panis - Chassis TF106/10
Best Lap Time: 1m19.143s
Total laps: 103
Total distance: 456.084kms
"Today we got a lot done and made it through our whole program. This test
is similar to the one before Magny-Cours in that it is quite hot and we also
had some wind to deal with. Just as Ricardo, I also did some long runs and found
some positive results. We will try to improve tomorrow and better our lap times,
but overall I am happy with today's work and results."
Gerd Pfeiffer - Test Team Manager
"This week we have to push hard especially having to gain information for
three races. The hot temperatures we are experiencing here are a big advantage
in regards to Hockenheim and Hungary, which are two races known for being some
of the hottest races in the calendar. Besides testing the performance of the
tyres and learning about the degradation in this heat, we are also working on
smaller race items to prepare and improve on our reliability."
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