Suzuka Report – Oops…We Lost Out Again!
Zonta Fastest, TF105B Impress’
Suzuka is a unique figure of eight and is one of the most challenging circuits in the world. Therefore the introduction of the TF105B couldn’t have been at a better place, ant to make things better, it was at their home circuit in Japan. Apart from the first session, and the two on Saturday, it was only ever the second session on Friday where Toyota’s Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli put in some impressive lap times in their TF105B’s. In my mind, the TF105B was an improvement, putting both TF105B’s happily in the top ten. Friday tester Ricardo Zonta once again impressed, ending Friday fastest of the field. If any team was building up to an impressive weekend it was Toyota, their Practice performances outstanding, all they needed to do was to convert this pace into a good grid position on Saturday.
Toyota Front to Back
Just like at the season opener, Australia, the teams were greeted to a wet/dry Qualifying session, which as usual mixed the grid up. Toyota’s Jarno Trulli made an unforced error at Turn 9, ending his lap. It was a rare mistake by the Italian who was on track when the rain had stopped, yet left a very wet racing line. Whereas in contrast Ralf Schumacher was able to just keep it on the road, scoring his first pole position for Toyota. Yet like in America, we only got pole through luck, and even though Ralf drove an excellent lap, it wasn’t 100% down to the car, it was more down to the weather. But still, a pole is a pole, and even better it was at our home circuit. To add pressure, our main rival BAR Honda was alongside us with Jenson Button, making it a Japanese front row for Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Blown It Again!
For the first time this season, I felt we had a car, which could challenge for the victory. I knew our car was faster than Jenson Button’s BAR Honda, and we had the pace to remain in front of Giancarlo Fisichella’s Renault. Therefore the win was almost in our hands, and it would take massive errors for us to drop anywhere below the top 3. But massive errors we did make. Toyota like so many times this season, tried to be clever, over ambitious. Ralf was on a three-stop stratergy, and the early safety car period mean’t a three stopper was out of the question, meaning we’d change to two during our first stop. But no, we remained on our three-stop stratergy, stopping before anybody else, losing our selves the most amount of time possible. Ralf would then spend the remainder of the race moving backwards with his extra pit stop, costing them any chance of a decent result. To make matters worse, two of the top three positions were filled by drivers who started way out of the top ten, who had to fight there way forward when we should had been pulling away out in front. Ralf complained of tyre vibrations, another insult from Michelin perhaps?
Australia, Europe and Belgium are all races were a Toyota driver should had been on the podium, but due to failures by the team and the incorrect use of tyres, we have been lucky to scrap away with a single point. Yet again in Japan, a golden opportunity arises, and we kick the ball in the opposite direction. Toyota started the season looking serious about winning, their announcement of their second windtunnel and increased spending made them look serious about winning. But the latter stages of this season and their on track tactics prove otherwise. Lessons must seriously be learnt, and these junior errors must not be repeated in future seasons. Ralf was lucky to come home in the points, yet it was just a single one. But Toyota are not here to pick up the odd point, they are here to win, which is looking very unlikely unless they rethink their strategies.
Trulli unlucky
If Toyota destroyed Ralf Schumacher’s moment of glory, the same could be said for Jarno Trulli’s race ending collision with BAR Honda’s Takuma Sato. Jarno who had struggled with his TF105B all weekend, was spun out by a recovering Sato after his first corner off. Sato would later be disqualified for the move, which left the Italian driver very angry, and I totally understand why. It’s often happened that Takuma Sato makes impossible overtaking moves, which result in someone leaving the racetrack. His touch with Rubens Barrichello in Europe last season, his push with Michael Schumacher in Belgium this season and now his thump with Jarno Trulli in Japan all point towards Sato’s idea of an overtaking manoeuvre. Formula One isn’t a contact sport, for the pure reason it’s already dangerous and cars banging wheels would result in a car flipping over. I sincerely hope Sato understands the dangerous which are involved in some of his moves, and the recent thump with Jarno Trulli will hopefully highlight something in his brain. But nevertheless, it was the first weekend of the season with Jarno was outpaced throughout by teammate Ralf Schumacher, the coin looks to be turning.
No chance of catching Ferrari
Toyota’s costly mistakes has cost the Japanese manufacture any chance of catching rivals Ferrari in the constructors championship. With Ferrari outscoring Toyota for the third race in a row, they are now 18 points ahead, with 18 points only on offer. Therefore Toyota would have to win and come second and pray that Ferrari finishes out of the points. On current form a podium from Toyota would be a surprise, therefore meaning our fight for third is all but over.
Okay, final race of the year is upon us; Toyota must perform, if anything less we need a driver on the podium. After the disasters of the last couple of races, Toyota need to put things right if we’re going to head into the winter in a positive frame of mind.
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