Spain Preview Quotes: Toyota

Ralf Schumacher: "We should definitely be more competitive in Spain than we were at Imola. The San Marino Grand Prix was always going to be a tough event for us, and our performance there shows that there is room for improvement. We now have to analyse the data from that race and come up with solutions for circuits that might pose similar problems for us, although Barcelona should not be one of them. The Circuit de Catalunya is a demanding track with four high-speed corners and, because of its situation on a hill, the wind is a major factor. It can be changeable, which makes the track difficult in terms of aerodynamics and gearing. As for the tyres, when we first tested on the new surface it was very smooth and too slippery but now that teams have done more running there, it's fine."

Dieter Gass ­ Chief Race Engineer: "The Circuit de Catalunya is an extremely well-rounded track which demands ultimate performance from each and every aspect of the car. The car simply has to be quick over the entire lap with more attention on high speed corners than we have needed at the last few races. We need to ensure that the TF105 has good traction, but also good top speed to produce competitive lap times. Because we can assess the overall package at Barcelona, it is used a lot for testing purposes. It is a circuit that teams know extremely well and that can in turn lead to a highly competitive field. However, the track was resurfaced over the winter, which will offer a new challenge to everyone, but the basic characteristics of the circuit remain unchanged. The resurfacing has had less of an effect on the car's behaviour than it has on tyre performance. Historically, Barcelona has been very demanding on the tyres with a high level of degradation, but now it does not seem to be anywhere near as bad."