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Hungary: Kicking the Habit
By Nick Sparkes
August 4 2005
Panasonic Toyota Racing had a really battle on their hands, as for the thirteenth round of the Formula One World Championship the team had to kick their ‘mobile chicane’ habit which had been implied on them for most of the season. Thankfully Ralf and Jarno didn’t disappoint come race day.

Hungaroring Report  – Kicking the Habit

 

Bad habits!

 

Up and down the pit lane teams spent most of the Hungarian Grand Prix kicking habits. Sunday was mean’t to see the end of tobacco advertising, cutting team budgets in half as well as reforming the sport in general as a nice, health living, happy life style. Yet loopholes and government backing has permitted teams to continue to use tobacco sponsorship outside of EU countries, even if the television pictures are sent back through the cables of EU households. This means teams like BAR, Jordan and McLaren can happy ‘smoke’ their cars around non-EU circuits, making the whole idea of the ban a little pointless, if a little bit dense.

 

It’s a well-known fact; Toyota does not feed off tobacco sponsorship, the majority of their budget comes from Toyota themselves as well as title sponsor Panasonic. In fact, Toyota has one of the biggest budgets in the Formula One pit lane and all the talk about tobacco sponsors being a key to Formula One’s financial department is a little bit over the top. Computer, mobile phone, fast food and fizzy drink companies are all being welcomed to take up the ‘tobacco’ role, and with the Asda style price cuts (lighting the load) they could be a real possibility.

 

But I’m sure computer companies will soon be outlawed because its making our children lose their eyesight, mobile phone companies will also be banned because we film anti social videos with them, and fast food and fizzy drink companies will also hit the waste paper bin because its making our children far too fat. Next the motor engine is banned because it creates too much noise pollution… I fear this will be a debatable issue, which will not ‘smoke’ away.

 

A return to form

 

We’ve been waiting, and waiting, and waiting for the return to form for Toyota. Sadly the first session on Friday was a no hoper, Ricardo Zonta completed limited laps with a hydraulics problem, whilst Ralf and Jarno were fiddling around the midfield, no joy there then. But just a couple of hours later, joy at last, Zonta ends the day P1 with both Jarno and Ralf following in hot pursuit with a fourth and fifth. The tables at Toyota showed signs of turning.

 

Saturday broke, and Toyota’s strong form continued to shine. This time Ralf lead teammate Jarno with a fourth and a sixth, and Ralf matched his time with a repeat performance just before qualifying. Jarno struggled to even make the top ten after a fuel system problem, yet still had high hopes as the team entered the final session of the day, Qualifying!

 

With Jarno Trulli going out early, a top ten grid slot would be considered a result. Yet the Italian worked wonders with his Toyota, remaining fastest for most of the session, and only beaten by McLaren’s Juan Pablo Montoya and Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher, Jarno would line up an amazing third for Sunday’s race. Ralf struggled to find an optimum balance on his flying lap, his set-up more suited to the long afternoon expected tomorrow. When the German crossed the line, he pitched his Toyota into fifth, not a bad days work.

 

This mean’t both drivers would start on the clean side of the grid for tomorrows race, and after their stellar pace of Friday and Saturday morning, great things were expected from Panasonic Toyota Racing.

 

 

Putting the record straight

 

Toyota’s opening corner got everyone in a huff, Rubens Barrichello touched the back of Jarno’s Toyota under breaking, damaging the Ferrari’s nose cone and Jarno’s diffuser. Whilst Ralf Schumacher bumped Fernando Alonso along the grass, dislocating his front wing on the rear wheel of Ralf’s car. All these are seen as racing incidents, and with the nature of the Hungaroring circuit, possible a fault to the track as well. This therefore gave Jarno a very difficult afternoon, with a sliding rear end; his Toyota lost important downforce due to the fact a Ferrari nose had shoved itself in its place. But its not as if Jarno hasn’t experienced anything like this before, as in last years San Marino Grand Prix Jarno experienced the front of David Coulthard’s McLaren inserting its nose into the rear of Jarno’s Renault, dislocating the diffuser there. 

 

With Jarno’s ill handling Toyota, this gave Ralf Schumacher the chance to shine, and after some fairly quick laps in clear air, jumped his team-mate at the end of the first round of pit stops. At this stage Toyota were fourth and fifth, with no sign of a track of cars behind him! It took the retirement of McLaren’s Juan Pablo Montoya to move Ralf onto the podium, with Jenson Button’s BAR Honda starting to catch Jarno’s Toyota. But, Jarno put in some excellent lap times to put some space between him and Toyota’s Japanese rival. Come the end of the race, Ralf had closed to within a second of his brother Michael at the finish, Michael’s Ferrari struggling with tyre wear, but Ralf took his first podium as a Toyota driver with third, Jarno following him behind in Fourth. There were cheers among the Toyota camp, the habit was kicked, and their car fast during the race, only McLaren had a better pace than them!

 

You couldn’t have scripted the championship battle better!

 

You honestly needed Fernando Alonso not to finish in the points for Kimi Raikkonen to have a sniff at the World Championship, and thankfully, our preys were answered. After Fernando’s nose breaking opening lap, and Kimi Raikkonen’s charge to victory, McLaren are back in the hunt, even if their dyer reliability record continued with Montoya’s slowing McLaren. From a Formula One point of view, I want this to go down to the wire, only a couple of points between the two, and for both Kimi and Alonso to line up on the front row of the grid at the final race and battle the championship out like men. Hopefully if Hungary is anything to go by, we’re heading straight for a show down!

 

Sun, sea and hard work for Toyota!

 

Everyone is now off on their well deserved break (apart from Ferrari who are testing every other day…). August is a time for reflection, recharging the batteries for the final push later in the year. Toyota will be keeping their hands busy with the up and coming 2006 car, as well as the rumoured ‘B Spec’ racer due out in time for the Italian Grand Prix. But if like me you feel the aid of hugging your steering wheel every other Sunday, rest assure, Toyota and the gage are back in action in 3 weeks time, where hopefully our run of good luck shall continue!

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