Toyota Boss 'Speechless' after Third Place

Toyota's team principal Ove Andersson was delighted after Frenchman Olivier Panis put on an impressive performance that saw him qualifying in third place ahead of tomorrow's United States Grand Prix.

"I am speechless," said Andersson after qualifying. "In only our 32nd race, we have qualified a Toyota on the second row of the grid after Olivier took third place with a really impressive lap.

"The atmosphere in the garage during that session was absolutely remarkable and I have to say a big thank you to all the guys for producing such a fantastic result. The cars have looked competitive since first thing yesterday morning and if luck is on our side tomorrow, we should expect to pick up a few points."

The result was the best of the season for Toyota, and it equalled Panis's best qualifying performance, the Frenchman having started from third in Argentina in 1997 and in France in 1999 while driving for the defunct Prost team.

"This is a brilliant result for the entire team," said Panis. "I have not started a race on the second row of the grid since the Grand Prix in Argentina back in 1997 [he means France, 1999]. I am looking forward to having some fun in the race tomorrow alongside some of the most competitive drivers in the field.

"We have had a mixed season in terms of results, but it is fabulous to see the rewards of our non-stop efforts. I know that we are not yet in a position to fight for victory, but we have a good car and I expect to pick up a lot of points tomorrow to try and catch BAR-Honda and Jaguar, our nearest rivals in the Championship."

Panis's teammate Cristiano da Matta qualified in ninth place.