Panis Pleased after Positive Day

Toyota's Olivier Panis was pleased with his day's work ahead of tomorrow's qualifying for the European Grand Prix at the Nurburgring circuit.

"I think it was a positive day," said Panis, who posted the 13th quickest time in today's practice. "We worked quite well and we seem to have found a clear direction with selection of the tyre compounds, which is one of the most critical things about Friday's practice sessions."

The Toyota driver, however, was unhappy with the driving of Minardi's test driver Bas Leinders, who Panis claimed had blocked him during a quick lap.

"At the end of the second practice, I was on a very quick lap, but I lost at least four-tenths through the driving of Leinders in the Minardi," said Panis. "I know it can't be easy for him, but he should really learn to use the mirrors."

Panis' teammate Cristiano da Matta was 14th fastest, the Brazilian admitting he is not expecting Toyota to shine this weekend.

"We didn't expect anything special in terms of the car performance around the Nurburgring this weekend," said da Matta. "On a positive note, the car is quite well balanced, even if it is bumping much more over the asphalt compared to last year.

"We still need to find more grip, but we know that already. Something that concerns me, though, is the high rate of degradation on the tyres. We have to look into this more closely because it will be important when it comes to preparing for the race in tomorrow's practice sessions."