Spain Preview Quotes: Toyota

Olivier Panis: "I like the Circuit de Catalunya a lot. It is a high-speed, technical track and enjoyable to drive. It is particularly fun into the final corner, which is very fast and, unlike Imola, there are some good overtaking opportunities, especially at the end of the pit straight. We had a four-day test in Mugello last week straight after an encouraging result in Imola. It was frustrating to finish the San Marino GP in 9th place, just out of the points, but a two-car finish proves that we have the reliability again, which has boosted team morale. Like most other teams, we have done a lot of testing at the Catalunya track and the efforts of the whole team continue to impress me, so I am hopeful we can make an important step forward in Barcelona this weekend by qualifying in the top ten and finishing the race in the points."

Cristiano da Matta: "Barcelona is a track that I know very well after all the pre-season testing we carried out in the TF103. I even raced there in F3000 back in 1996. Of the 16 circuits on the calendar, it is by far the one I know best. The car was consistently competitive around this track in testing and we did some productive tyre, aero and general set-up work testing in Mugello last week in direct preparation for this race. Our car appears to be reliable once more, further highlighted by the 230 laps I managed over my three days in Mugello. I have now seen the chequered flag three times in succession, and I am confident we can complete full race distance again this weekend to score our first points of the season and get our season well and truly underway."

Ove Andersson, Team Principal: "We showed good signs of speed and overall performance at the Barcelona circuit in pre-season testing, and following our double finish in Imola two weeks' ago, I think we can look to the Spanish Grand Prix with championship points as a realistic target. Things are coming together for us now after a rocky start to our 2003 campaign. As each race goes by, I can see that we are improving in every area. The race in Imola was a big step forward, the test in Mugello gave us valuable results, and so the logical next step for us is a two-car finish in Spain, with both Olivier and Cristiano scoring points. Having said that, it should be remembered that most other teams have tested a lot at Barcelona and will be at the top of their game this weekend, so we should again be cautious in our approach."