Panis pleased with TF104B

Panis finished the race a lowly 14th spot after stalling his car on the grid at the start of the race. He was forced to start from the back at the re-start and make his way up the order. Team-mate Cristiano da Matta, meanwhile, retired from the race with a puncture.

"We can see that the new car is a good step," Panis said. "I'd say we've found between three and five-tenths. The improvements have come from having better aerodynamics. The engine we have is fantastic and everything looks good with the stiffness of the car. Everyone has been putting in a huge effort. We are on the pace now."

Hockenheim was the first chance the car ran with the full revised package having tested the new car minus its aero components the week before. Panis admits the team could benefit from another test session before the Hungarian Grand Prix on August 15, but the summer testing ban prevents this.

"We have a new car and if we had a two or three-day test before Budapest it would have been helpful. But two and a half weeks' holiday is pretty good. I think it is important for people to recharge their batteries and then start again in Budapest."

Panis's vote of confidence follows technical director Mike Gascoyne's satisfied comments last week.

"There's nothing wrong with the car, not a single problem," he told last week's Autosport magazine. "I've always said that if you do the wind tunnel testing properly and make it work to the right level of accuracy, then what you have in the tunnel is what you have at the track, as happened with this car."