Indianapolis Report – Don’t throw stones at Glass Houses

Unlucky for some… 13

For the first time this season, Toyota suffered major problems in practice for the American Grand Prix in the shape of Ralf Schumacher. On his return to the circuit, which cut short his 2004 world championship, Ralf spun into the barrier, which he crashed into just under a year ago. The German then coming to a halt a few yards down the pit straight minus his left hand wheels and rear wing. Lucky Ralf was able to walk free from his now destroyed Toyota. Hours later it was confirmed a tyre failed, which a few minutes early also caused Ricardo Zonta to spin of the racetrack. To me, this must be the worst part of the car that can fail (except for the rear wing, brakes or a jammed throttle). To hit the barrier at well over 150mph must be the worst experience possible, and it’s a credit to the modern day Formula One cars, the safety checks imposed by the FIA, that the car withstood the impact. The now unlucky Turn 13 finished Ralf’s weekend for the second year running after he was told to go home and rest. But, there were some positive’s to take away; Ricardo Zonta was second fastest in the first of Friday’s sessions, with both Toyota’s comfortably within the top ten during the final practice session on Saturday morning. If nothing else, the cars were quick and competitive, even if they did lose valuable track time with Ralf and Zonta’s incidents. 

A Trulli amazing lap!

I didn’t expect qualifying to be a huge success for the Toyota team, but I was pleasantly surprised by the end of the session. First off Ricardo Zonta. The Brazilian was out first as he stood in for the dazed Ralf Schumacher, and even on a dusty track the boy did well securing thirteenth on the grid a head of both Red Bull Racing’s and the Williams of Nick Heidfeld. Ten out of ten for our stand in!

Then came Jarno Trulli, out tenth due to his last minute dramas at the last race in Canada. First sector, not bad, second sector, its getting better, third sector… I almost fell out my chair! Comfortably fastest in what was a Trulli amazing lap! The next five cars failed to set a faster time and it was all down to Jarno’s final sector, not even championship leader Fernando Alonso could beat it and once Kimi Räikkönen crossed the line a tenth slower, that was it, Toyota were on pole! After all the dramas and stress of practice, I was overjoyed for the whole Panasonic Toyota team that some good had come round to greet them, the team and their supporters, understandable ecstatic! 

Tired of Tyres

On Saturday evening and Sunday morning all was not well at the Indianapolis Speedway. All of Michelin’s tyres were deemed unsafe, and a press release to all 7 Michelin teams asked for them not to compete in the Grand Prix staged to get underway a few hours later. The excitement of Toyota’s first pole was for me all forgotten, as we might not even see them taking the start! Even an hour before the Grand Prix, nobody knew what was going to happen, Michelin wanted a Chicane built at Turn 13, which was rejected by Ferrari, and without this, none of the Michelin teams would race. And sure enough, on the warm up lap, all 14 Michelin cars peeled into the Pit Lane and retired before the race even got underway due to the safety of their Michelin grooved tyres. Why did it come to this though? I feel the eight million rules we have in Formula One got in the way, teams not agreeing, the FIA stating one thing, teams stating another; nobody honestly knew what was going on. And I point the blame boldly at Michelin. However you look at it, the soul starter was Michelin and their tyres, and since Ralf Schumacher’s 180mph crash during Friday practice the world of Formula One was shattered in America, as if someone had thrown a stone at the glass covered brickyard.

Utter B-S!

I sadly join everyone reading this, and everyone who attended the American Grand Prix… it really was utter B-S (In the words of one annoyed American spectator). When I saw only six cars line up on the grid, which I never believed would happen, I was stunned, and I feel the commentators were as well! ITV spent the first half hour turning the experience into a chat show with fans, drivers and team personnel expressing their thoughts and opinions for everyone at home to hear… it was truly a dark day for Formula One. Yet, a race was going on, but it wasn’t the same, everyone was robbed of a great spectacle and I feel for everyone who sat and watched the race like I did, not knowing what to do or what to say was a sickening feeling. 24 hours later, it seems we are back at square one, newspapers in England declare the end of Grand Prix racing, whilst hundreds of fans turn their back upon the sport we all love. If it’s taken this for everyone to realise not all is well with the sport that became a business, it’s a sad way for it to happen.

At last we’re heading back to Europe

It has to be said, I’m glad we’re heading back to Europe! For the Toyota team the fly away races have not been they’re most successful and their first ever pole positive a little wasted. But, like life, we must push forward and however bad the situation, regroup and push each other onto the next stage. Hopefully the Panasonic Toyota team will be in good spirits when we react France in 2 weeks time, and that the blackest day since May 1994 will be forgotten news.

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