European GP Preview Quotes: Toyota

Olivier Panis: "Although the Nurburgring is not one of my favourite tracks on the calendar, there are some technical sections that are satisfying to get right. The weather can often be a problem, because it is normally quite cold in the Eifel and then you need to opt for a soft balance on the car to warm up the tyres. You cannot afford to have understeer because it destroys the tyres too quickly. Overtaking is difficult at the Nurburgring, so qualifying will be important. I was pleased to open my points account in Canada, and we should expect more solid finishes as the rest of the season unfolds, although I don't want to make any concrete predictions for this weekend."

Cristiano da Matta: "We had a busy time in Jerez last week working closely with Michelin to find good tyres for the Nurburgring race. We completed a lot of mileage and collected some very useful information. I raced at the Nurburgring in 1996 in F3000, but the track has changed quite a bit since then, especially with last year's modification to the first corner, so I have to relearn the track on Friday. After frustratingly retiring from the Canadian Grand Prix from a points-scoring position with just a few laps to go, I am determined to do well this weekend ­ especially for everyone from the factory who will be there cheering us on!"

Ove Andersson, Team Principal: "After the opening eight races of the season, I have to admit I have mixed feelings about our performance and results so far. Yes, I am disappointed that we have not been able to score more than four championship points, but we have demonstrated that we have a strong package with our excellent drivers, car and team. This was clear at the last race in Canada, and now we have to continue in this way for the remaining races. Nurburgring is our home race, with our factory just down the road in Cologne, so it would be a special feeling to get a solid result in front of our colleagues, who will be watching us from the grandstands. There is half a season still to go and I am certain there are more top 10 grid slots and championship points to come for us in 2003, hopefully starting this weekend."