18/05/2009
NEWS STORY
Panasonic Toyota Racing heads to the most glamorous and famous destination in Formula 1 for the Monaco Grand Prix on the twisty, barrier-lined streets of the Principality. The Monaco track is comfortably the shortest on the Formula 1 calendar but is nevertheless one of the toughest, with almost 4,000 gear changes during a race as the 18 corners arrive in quick succession. Jarno Trulli knows these streets better than most as the 2004 Monaco Grand Prix winner while Timo Glock has finished on the podium in the Principality in GP2. Last year's trip to Monaco was a disappointment for Toyota, with rain on race day leaving both cars outside the top 10 despite promising qualifying performances. The TF109s will be tuned for maximum downforce and the team is highly motivated to bounce back with a strong performance in Monaco after a disappointing Spanish Grand Prix saw Timo finish 10th and Jarno retire after a first-lap accident.
Jarno Trulli: "Monaco is one of my favourite tracks in Formula 1; it is so challenging and the driver can really make a difference so this suits me well. It is always special to go to Monaco because the atmosphere is different to any other race and the circuit is unique. I know it's slow in terms of average speed but when you are driving it feels really fast as the barriers are so close. This means you have to be completely concentrated otherwise a small mistake can put you in the wall. I love the challenge of Monaco and I am usually really strong there, even if sometimes I've had a bit of bad luck and not had the results I deserved. Our car has been competitive all year but you can't compare Monaco to other circuits so you can never be sure what to expect. Obviously the race in Spain was one to forget but anyway I prefer to look forwards not back so I'm ready to fight hard again this weekend. I'm hoping for a strong result."
Timo Glock: "Last year Monaco was a tricky race for us because of the changing weather but in general I really enjoy racing at street circuits, and this one in particular. I've had some strong performances in GP2 at Monaco and I know you have to be completely focused because it is so easy to make a mistake and ruin your race. It will be important to qualify well, as it always is in Monaco, because it's virtually impossible to overtake in the race unless the guy in front of you has a problem. Unfortunately the Spanish Grand Prix didn't go according to plan due to the problems on the first lap and it was very frustrating to miss the points for the first time this season. It will be interesting to experience how this season's car feels around Monaco because we have less downforce but more grip from the slick tyres. Generally our car has felt pretty good this season so there's no reason why we can't be competitive in Monaco."
Pascal Vasselon, Senior General Manager Chassis: "This year's Monaco Grand Prix is quite unusual because we don't have a fully dedicated aerodynamic package for this race, unlike previous seasons. In the past we have made major changes to the wings as well as adding flaps and winglets where possible to generate extra downforce. But this year things are a little bit different because the regulations have restricted what we can do to generate downforce, meaning we have quite a bit less this season. Therefore we have been chasing downforce at almost all tracks so Monaco is no longer unique in requiring us to do this. We will bring a few updates, as we aim to do at most races. We know the TF109 is fundamentally a very competitive car so we are looking forward to a strong weekend."