WELL AND TRULLI AT HOME

Jarno Trulli opened a busy three-day test programme for Panasonic Toyota Racing at Monza, the fastest circuit on the Formula 1 calendar, in preparation for the Italian Grand Prix, on September 9. Jarno Trulli, in his home country, was at the wheel and morning conditions were hot and humid with an overcast sky later in the day. The team solved some electronic issues early in the day and then concentrated on establishing a baseline for the low downforce package that is crucial to strong performance at Monza. Braking performance and feel is key to the driver at Monza as he stops the car for the three chicanes that intersperse a track that is full throttle for much of the lap. Without the levels of aerodynamic downforce normally on the car, the emphasis is on establishing a set-up that inspires confidence. There is a compromise to be reached between running the car low and stiff to optimise efficiency and giving the driver a degree of comfort over Monza's high kerbing. Jarno will continue work adjusting to the low downforce package tomorrow.

Jarno Trulli - Chassis TF107/03
Best lap time: 1min 24.523s
Position: 4th
Total laps: 61
Total distance:353.373kms

“The car has quite a 'light' feel at Monza because you run with the bare minimum of aerodynamic downforce because so much of the track is flat-out. In general we got through a decent amount of work on the set-up today before the rain came at the end of the day. We worked on the tyres and brakes and I was am happy with progress. The second chicane now has a tarmac surface instead of gravel and it is good to see that - a definite step forward."

Gerd Pfeiffer - Test Team Manager

“We have a busy programme here at Monza, where the car runs in a substantially different configuration from the other circuits on the F1 schedule. We made a decent start to the test with no significant hold-ups and strong reliability, with just some rain at the end of the day bringing us to a halt around 20 minutes before we planned. We have collected a lot of data which we can analyse this evening before continuing with Jarno in the car again tomorrow before Ralf takes over on Thursday."