France preview quotes: Toyota

"There is nothing particularly challenging about the Magny-Cours track from a driving perspective but it does feature extremely smooth asphalt. That leads to a less bumpy ride for the drivers but it also means that the performance of the track can vary a lot depending on the weather and track temperature.

"I wouldn't say that it is my favourite race of the year but the facilities are good and the layout of the circuit can lead to good racing. It is also a place where I have had success down the years. I took my first pole position there five years ago and I also won the event in 2003. It is hard to know how we will perform this weekend but our car has shown it is quick in recent races so we will hope for more on Sunday."

Jarno Trulli: "I have very good memories of Magny-Cours and I always enjoy visiting France. French is one of the languages that I speak because of all the time that I have spent working for French teams in Formula One. That means I have a good relationship with the French fans and I expect to have lots of support in the grandstands.

"Magny-Cours is a fun place to drive an F1 car too because it is a technical circuit with pretty much every kind of corner there is. There are fast, sweeping corners along with slow hairpins and also some quick changes of direction at the chicanes. Good handling is crucial because the car has to react well to such a variety of different corners.

"The track surface is among the smoothest that we run on in the course of the season so we can run lower ride heights than usual. Now we must hope to build on our improved pace and come away with another good result."

Pascal Vasselon, Senior General Manager Chassis: "Magny-Cours is a very balanced circuit with quite typical values for downforce and brakes. The only thing that makes set-up a bit difficult is the very high kerb at the last chicane which can sometimes launch cars off the ground. You can also see extremely high track temperatures because the tarmac tends to be quite black so it heats up as soon as you have the slightest sunshine.

"Overtaking is quite difficult despite the long straight leading to the Adelaide hairpin because the preceding Estoril corner is a long corner where the cars and tyres are on the limit and it is difficult for drivers to follow each other closely.

"Magny-Cours is sometimes mocked by the F1 fraternity but it is one of the places I most enjoy travelling to during the season because the surrounding area is so relaxing. On your way to the circuit you see nice countryside and cows in the fields and that contributes to a relaxed atmosphere. It also means that the event is a good one for race enthusiasts because there are no distractions!"