Trulli on the up

Jarno Trulli has admitted it took him longer than expected to get to grips with the change from Bridgestone to Michelin tyres he made when he joined Renault this year, but now feels he is starting to show his true form

Oct 1, 2002, 1:48 PM

A fifth place finish in the US Grand Prix was his second top six result in a row, and after struggling to match the race pace of team-mate Jenson Button earlier in the season, the tables have gradually turned.

"I'm really happy because we struggled quite a lot in the beginning of the season," he admitted. "I couldn't get hold of the car and the tyres, and everything wasn't working pretty well for me. Once I solved this kind of problem, and the reliability got much, much better, I've been able to understand the car much better.

"I get on very well with Pat Symonds and the engineers. We're making everything work well every time. I'm enjoying racing because the car is well balanced, so I can push and enjoy myself."

His result at Indy moved Trulli into eighth in the drivers' championship with nine points. Button is seventh on 13.