Toyota F1 completes Paul Ricard Test


Da Matta
By Toyota F1 Media
April 16 2004

The Toyota F1 team completed their Paul Ricard Test, in preparation for the San Marino GP. Panis, Da Matta, and Ryan Briscoe shared the driving duties over the three days. The last day saw little activity as the circuit was hit by heavy rain.

 
Paul Ricard Test Roundup
 
Paul Ricard Test Round-Up
Dates: 13-16 April 2004
Location: Circuit Paul Ricard, Le Castellet, France
Drivers: Cristiano da Matta (13-14), Olivier Panis (15-16), Ryan Briscoe (13-16) Track Length: 4.115km

 Cristiano da MattaCristiano da Matta
Total laps: 204
Best Lap Time: 1m08.464s
Chassis: TF104/06
"We had a successful first day on Tuesday, putting in over 130 laps. We were doing general set-up work with different weight distributions and we covered all of the items that we had planned. On Wednesday we completed a racing tyre test. Unfortunately in the afternoon we were doing compound testing for Michelin when we suffered an engine failure with three sets still to try. Still, we have a few good things to take away with us, and this test should mean we have an easier time adapting the car to different situations and getting the maximum out of the car in different track conditions."

Olivier PanisOlivier Panis
Total laps: 98
Best Lap Time: 1m08.418s
Chassis: TF104/06
"Thursday was a positive day for us, testing tyres for Imola and Monaco. The wind hampered our efforts and I stopped slightly early with a gearbox problem, but we still put in nearly 100 laps. On Friday we were planning to test some new aerodynamic parts but the wind was gusting up to 65 knots. It can be dangerous to drive here in such conditions so it became impossible to do any meaningful work. Our next race is the San Marino Grand Prix. We haven't gone particularly well at Imola in the past, so we have to keep pushing and we will be looking to make the best out of our package there this time."

 Ryan BriscoeRyan Briscoe
Total laps: 356
Best Lap Time: 1m08.657s
Chassis: TF104/05 (13-15), TF103B (16)
"It's been a constructive test, and I completed over 100 laps on each of the first three days before the bad weather set in. On Tuesday we did a lot of long runs, working on tyre durability and set-ups for tyre wear, comparing different Michelin constructions. It went well but I had to stop early with a gearbox problem. We worked on engine braking and tyres on Wednesday, and I put in 128 laps on Thursday, continuing the work on engine braking and looking at some of our software systems. Finally, on Friday I did a short run but the wind was way too strong to make any real progress. This was only my second test on the TF104. We have only made small improvements so far, but we are heading in the right direction."