San Marino Preview Quotes: Toyota
Jarno Trulli: "Before the start of the 2005 season I never thought I'd be coming back to Europe in second place in the world championship. But thanks to a lot of hard work from the whole of the Panasonic Toyota Racing team that is the fantastic situation we are in. Expectations are obviously very high now but we have to keep our feet on the ground. Despite the fact that I'm racing at home, I'm not a particular fan of the Imola circuit. The most important factors for performance are braking stability and traction, but the weather will be colder than the last two races and in the past Toyota has struggled over the kerbs. Still, the TF105 has improved a lot and with further aerodynamic updates coming for the weekend, we should aim to score more points. That would be a good result."
Ralf Schumacher: "I always enjoy returning to Imola. I took my first ever F1 win there in 2001 and I have enjoyed success at the track ever since - both in the races and qualifying. It would be nice to think I can maintain that record this year with Toyota, even if Imola has not been a kind circuit to the team in the past. It is one of the most technically demanding tracks on the calendar, with lots of long straights and slow corners. That means the brakes take a pounding but our braking performance was strong in Bahrain so we should be confident. Jarno and the team have done a magnificent job to score two podiums in a row, but after fifth in Malaysia and fourth in Bahrain, logic suggests the next podium should be mine! That's certainly what I'll be aiming for."
Mike Gascoyne - Technical Director Chassis: "Kerb riding is an important factor at Imola. This has been a weak point for Toyota in the past but with the progress we have made this year and the improved handling of the TF105, I don't think it will be such a problem this weekend. Imola's cooler track temperatures will also make a massive change from the extreme heat we have faced at the last two rounds in Malaysia and Bahrain. In order to prepare we spent the last week testing at Paul Ricard to establish just how our Michelin tyres will behave in those temperatures and to make our final tyre choice for the race weekend. Overall, I see no reason why Toyota's newfound success cannot continue and we should aim for more points."
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