By Huw Alban (04/06/03)
June 12 2003

Seeing Toyota up close at a test session is every fans dream. With media access, whilst working for Planet-F1.com, this site got close to the team at the last Silverstone F1 test... Wednesday was day two of last week's three-day test session at Silverstone. On Tuesday, just Toyota and Williams circulated, but on Wednesday they were joined by Jordan and Renault. The weather forecast for the day was typically British, rain followed by heavy rain in the afternoon. The forecast rain soon arrived and got steadily heavier during the morning, but by the start of the afternoon session the warm June sunshine broke through and stayed until the sessions close at 17:00.

Toyota must have believed the weather forecast completely - Cristiano da Matta was fired up and ready to go before the pitlane lights turned green, and was straight out for his installation lap. A quick check of the car saw him out on a four lap run without incident.

On his return the Toyota mechanics fiddled inside the nose section of the TF103 , and got him straight back out. Throughout all of this a fine drizzle was falling, which turned to rain proper around 11:00 prompting Crisitiano to abort his run and jump out of the car. A quick question to a mechanic revealed that it would have to rain significantly for Toyota to take to the track again - it appeared that damp conditions would not present the team with the opportunity to learn new things.

About 45 minutes later Cristiano fired up again and took to the now very wet track - the first driver to do so in these conditions. A quick run later, and the Brazilian was back to have some adjustments made under the engine cover. Cristiano was also the only driver to be practicing wet starts in the pit lane exit road - why, I wondered ?

During the quiet spell, whilst Toyota waited for the surface water to collect on the track surface, I chanced upon a conversation with one of the teams' corporate guests. The banter eventually got around to the team's less than satisfactory performances this year and that apparently all sponsor guests had been told that the team knew what to do to improve, and were confident that the full potential of the car would be realised soon.

With less than an hour to go, and with several incident-free laps from da Matta, the session was suddenly stopped with the Toyota out on track. Cristiano soon re-appeared in the pitlane with grass perched on the undertray and turning vanes of his car. A team member explained to the gathered corporate visitors that da Matta had tried to push a little bit harder through the Maggotts and Becketts complex of corners - a little too hard as he had had to take to the grass in order to avoid losing control of the car.

That was the end of Toyota's dramas, for the rest of the day in fact, with da Matta amongst the drivers rounding out the morning session.



Ralf Schumacher started off the now dry and clear afternoon session. His early laps viewed from Club corner showed that the track was still very damp in places, and the German pushed over the limit at the tight Vale hairpin. He spun onto the grass and rolled backwards across the track and onto the opposite grass verge. A small clunk later and the Williams returned to the track in first gear without any damage occuring.

Cristiano da Matta joined in on this early fun and could be seen experimenting with different lines around the sweeping right hand Club corner. He too was testing the limits, having to collect and correct the direction of his Toyota on several occasions. In addition, it was quite appearent that the Toyota traction control kicked in a lot more that the system in use on the Williams car. Whether this was just because da Matta was using different lines or not is hard to say, but the difference could be plainly heard.

Giancarlo Fisichella also had a one lap tour, but he only completed one very slow lap almost as if there was a technical difficulty with his Jordan or that the set-up was completely wrong.

With one hour of the session gone, and a clear dry line now appearing at Club corner, Ralph Firman took to the circuit but his lap only lasted as far as Farm Straight. As he powered down the Hanger Straight his Jordan emitted a very strange noise, and as he rolled down the hill to Vale he could be heard trying to select a gear. He eventually gave up half way down the Farm Straight and had to be recovered on the back of a low loader.

40 minutes later, Ralf Schumacher caused the first and only red flag of the afternoon, with his Williams being recovered from the new tarmac run-off at Copse corner. The reason for the stoppage was unknown, but the Williams car was not seen again for the remainder of the afternoon.

Fisichella managed to get on top of his technical difficulties with one hour of the session left, and joined Cristiano da Matta on a series of short runs. Viewing the Italian from the banking at the end of Becketts showed that he was having to really fight his Jordan around each fast corner, the back of the car looking decidedly lively. The afternoon session was rounded off by Fisichella and da Matta, with Firman joining in for the last 15 minutes in his repaired EJ13.

I was hoping that Toyota would be making another appearance at Silvertone at the next test session here in mid-June. Alas they are off to Italy.