Toyota Report – A race that could have become tragic

Timo Glock will long remember his return to Formula 1 in 2008. The German driver had quite a scare in the second half of the race, violently veering off the track. The absence of traction control no longer forgives any small mistake. Consequently, it’s a retirement for him and the deployment of the safety car for the third time.

Previously, his teammate did not have better luck. He was involved in the first corner skirmishes with Davidson. He managed to return to the pits but had to retire due to a battery issue.

Toyota eagerly awaits the Sepang race next week to bounce back after this Australian setback.

Timo Glock – Retirement:

« It was a tough start to get back into F1 with today’s race. Considering our starting position, it’s a more than disappointing result. I was involved in first lap incidents with two other cars, but with a significant amount of fuel on board, we were able to make up some ground at the beginning of the race. »

« However, the car was a bit strange in terms of understeering, we need to work on this point to improve the single-seater. After the pit stop, it was difficult to make progress and my race ended with this accident. I feel fine but I’m disappointed, and we hope to have a bit more luck next week. »

Jarno Trulli – Retirement:

« From the start of the race, the battery was too hot. Then, when I pitted, I had to retire. It’s a shame because the car was performing well, and I was driving quite well. I could have aimed for points, so it’s unfortunate to lose in this way for the first race of the season. »

However, the single-seater is better than last year’s and we have resources in terms of performance. Here, we didn’t look at our best because the tires weren’t working perfectly. I’m sure that, this year, something is possible and I hope to be stronger in Malaysia.

Tadashi Yamashina – Team Principal:

« This afternoon was difficult for all the teams because it was the first race and the temperatures were extremely high. But in these conditions, Toyota must show its team spirit and I am very disappointed because Jarno could have achieved very good results. A reliability issue with his battery forced him to retire. »

« We need to analyze the data to ensure that this problem does not happen again. Timo will have gained a lot of experience during his first race. Fortunately, he is doing well and I am very happy about that. We will now do our best to improve for the next race. »