Melbourne Report – Missed Opportunity

For Panasonic Toyota Racing, the team was optimistic for the first race, but like everyone else a finish would be satisfactory. The first practice sessions were like the first day back at school, everyone wondering around the paddock like a headless chicken, with no real idea of what to make of the new regulations. Ricardo Zonta the team’s Friday tester, took the third fastest time in the opening session whereas Toyota’s race drivers were back in mid field, trying to save as much of their environmentally friendly engines as possible. This would be the main factor for the following practice sessions, with some of the drivers not even making an appearance onto the track.

Saturday afternoon came, and so did the lottery. The weather (a new part of the regulations I think) would pick the drivers it hated, and the ones it liked. So, Renault’s Giancarlo Fisichella and Toyota’s Jarno Trulli got the best weather spot, with the weather being very kind to both of the drivers. Whereas Sauber’s Felipe Massa and Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher were really hated by the weather, as the crashing rain crushed any chance of them even beating a Minardi on their powerboat laps. But the unluckiest driver must had been Takuma Sato, whose B.A.R crashed on his out lap, leaving him with no chance of making an impression on the grid. F1 refugee Jacques Villeneuve was our latest stunt driver by not only spinning on his out lap and somehow missing the wall, but also taking a short cut across the gravel trap on his in lap! Thankfully his qualifying lap was less than extreme.

With the weather becoming more of a guessing game, the speed of your car counted to zero as many fast cars like the McLaren’s and Ferrari’s were at sea in the mid field. Toyota got lucky with Jarno Trulli, whose second place finish in the first of the two qualifying runs gave him a good shot at Toyota’s highest grid position to date. Whereas Ralf was busy down the back with his brother, having got the worst of the weather.

Sunday’s Qualifying session was pretty pointless, as the weather from the previous day had left everyone with little chance of improving their times. So Giancarlo’s return to Renault couldn’t have been better, as he would start the race from pole. Leaving Jarno Trulli celebrating Toyota’s first ever front row grid slot with second, whereas Ralf Schumacher would be back in the pack with an exciting race in prospect.

After a delayed start because Kimi’s McLaren stalled on the grid, Jarno Trulli would hold his second place as he started to hunt down Giancarlo’s Renault before the first of the pit stops. Red Bull’s new facial hair enthusiast David Coulthard soared into third at the first corner, as the rest of the field slotted in behind. Ralf would end up in a train of cars led by Jacques Villeneuve whose Sauber was acting like a caravan down a country lane holding up the field. After the first round of pit stops Jarno’s 15 seconds of fame were over, as his Toyota struggled with its rear tyres. This would lead him to drop back to as low as eleventh, but gained two positions thanks to Nick Heidfeld and Michael Schumacher racing on parts of track which are more at home on the World Rally stages. Ralf’s race was ruined when he had to make one extra pit stop because of seat belt problems.

At the end Giancarlo Fisichella took a lights to flag victory (this time on the podium) with Rubens Barrichello showing his old dog could still mix it with the 2005 machines in second. Fernando Alonso stormed from the back after his washed out grid position to take third, and Red Bull Racing would surprise everyone with their fourth and seventh placed finishing’s. Williams and McLaren made up the final points paying positions after an unlucky Melbourne adventure. Sadly for Panasonic Toyota Racing, no points after a promising qualifying and it would be seen as an own goal as it was their best opportunity to bag their first podium.

Lets hope lessons have been learnt as the teams are now off to Malaysia where they must take on the million degree temperatures and a circuit which has been very strong for Renault in the past. For Panasonic Toyota Racing, an aim of scoring points will be very high upon the agenda.     

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