Useful test for Toyota
Panasonic Toyota Racing concluded its second test of 2008 with Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock once again at the wheel of TF108s on day three at Valencia. As with the previous two days, the team’s focus was on set-up evaluations and Jarno’s programme included several aerodynamic configurations while Timo looked at aerodynamic and mechanical set-up.
Timo had to wait to begin work on another sunny day while electrical repairs were carried out but Jarno had a busy start to his session, trying various set-up options. Timo was back on track around midday and he made up for lost time with a busy stint behind the wheel as Jarno continued to gather important information. Despite Timo’s delay in the morning, the TF108 showed strong reliability throughout the three days, completing over 500 laps in total. The test team head to Bahrain next for two tests over six days in a warmer climate, starting on February 4.
Jarno Trulli - Chassis TF108-01
Best Lap Time: 1min 12.350s
Position: 7th
Total laps: 96
Total distance: 384km
“Today we worked again on the aerodynamics of the new car and we ran through the programme testing a lot of different things. It has been a busy test for me but we have done a lot of work and the data we got here will help us to improve the car. Now I am looking forward to Bahrain where we will continue to work on the set-up of the new car.”
Timo Glock - Chassis TF108-02
Best Lap Time: 1min 12.705s
Position: 10th
Total laps: 82
Total distance: 328km
“It was a shame we lost some time this morning with a small problem but my crew got the car ready quickly. We still had quite a bit of time to run through our programme in the afternoon and improve the balance of the car. Overall we have had a positive and encouraging test here. Both Jarno and I have concentrated on set-up and we have had a lot of time on track so the team has plenty of information to work with. We are heading in the right direction so I am happy with our work so far.”
Gerd Pfeiffer, Test Team Manager
“This has been a very useful and positive test for us. Timo lost a bit of time this morning but over the three days the TF108 has been very reliable and that has enabled us to complete a lot of set-up work, which has helped us understand the new car better. With a new car it is important to complete as many laps as possible to get data on how it reacts to set-up changes and in that respect we can be very pleased with our progress. We will now continue to study the information from this test back in Cologne and work on getting more from the set-up at the next test in Bahrain.”
