By role
June 24 2003

Jarno Trulli was not a happy man after last week’s Canadian GP. He had a difficult weekend with a bad qualification on Friday that saw him finish 19th and with a crash just minutes before the final qualification that saw him having to jump on the T-Car. He ended up qualifying a strong 8th taking under consideration that he was second driver to come out on Saturday qualification.

However, come race day his problems started. A less than good start saw him drop some places and he was pushed from behind by Pizzonia. The real problems of Trulli then started:

"Everything possible went wrong! Pizzonia hit me in the back on the first lap, which caused a puncture, so I had to come in. We changed tyres, and almost immediately I had this broken wheel, the front left. I was lucky to escape a big crash. I've never had that before. I came back, changed tyres, did a few laps, and the traction control failed. That's why I spun off. I had to turn the traction control off, and then again I had a puncture, and we decided to stop. So what can I say? Nothing!" The Italian explained to Autosport Online. “I had a very bad weekend. If anything could happen, it happened. It's just a weekend which went particularly badly…"

Trulli was surprised to see the form of Renault in Canada, a track that should not have suited the R23 and it’s well known engine power lack:

"I think we got help from the tyres, because we're on Michelin and the Michelins definitely better than Bridgestone at the moment. We've got an advantage on the Bridgestone runners, like Jordan, Sauber and BAR, our main competitors. It's difficult to beat McLaren and Williams, but let's say we've got a big help from the tyres." He said.

The Italian is well known in the paddock as one of the best qualifiers of the business. However, the new one-lap qualifying system is taking it’s toll in some drivers as Raikkonen:

"For sure there is more pressure for everyone, and there is also a different way of working, because you know you have one-shot qualifying and you have to get it right, and be on the limit."


At the present time Trulli’s teammate, Fernando Alonso, has collected 34 of the 47 points the team has, which means a 72% of the points. Trulli knows that he has to score more points in the second half of the season for the team to challenge the 3rd spot on the Driver’s Championship. However, he thinks that the main reason for him to be so slow in points is due to pure bad luck:

"The problem is just bad luck, I cannot say anything else." He concluded.

Next race is the European GP at the Nürgburgring, where in 1999 Trulli scored his only podium position. He knows this track will suit his car better and he knows that he just needs one weekend in which everything falls into its place:

“I always hope that it's going to be the right time! It's difficult to keep motivated, but I always try. We hope that it will be a good track for us. We didn't expect to be strong in Montreal, but in the end we were strong."

Let’s hope that he can soon show all the racing skill he has.