Panis Rues Lost Opportunity

Toyota's Olivier Panis said a problem with his car's anti-stall system ruined his Chinese Grand Prix and his hopes of a point-scoring finish.

The Frenchman started the race in Shanghai from eighth place on the grid, but at the start of the event his car hardly moved and he was overtaken by all drivers. Panis, who finished down in 14th place, said his car's anti-stall system had kicked in unexpectedly.

"All I can say is that we will work hard together to try and find a solution for the future," said Panis. "It is a terrible shame after a strong qualifying performance yesterday. During the race, the car felt good and consistent, so it was clear that we could have done well this afternoon.

"Basically, it was a missed opportunity for the whole team."

Brazilian Ricardo Zonta also endured a disappointing day, retiring with a mechanical problem on lap 35.

"After my last pitstop I lost my fifth gear and I had to come back to the garage, where unfortunately the race finished for me," said Zonta. "A disappointing end as I think that we could have scored minimum one point today."