Brazil GP: Toyota has high hopes

Toyota remains on two consecutive podiums in the last two races in Singapore and Japan. Thanks to these results, the team has secured fifth place in the constructors’ championship, holding a 20-point lead over its closest rival, Williams.

The team has made significant progress this year in mechanical design, chassis, and suspensions. A few years ago, their car didn’t handle bumps and curbs well, and as a result, its aerodynamics only worked on flat tracks. However, this year, the car seems to cope well with the track’s terrain. Additionally, the Interlagos track has been resurfaced, so Toyota has high hopes for this weekend. Note that since Timo Glock is unable to drive, Kamui Kobayashi is replacing him for this weekend.

Jarno Trulli – Racing Driver

This season has gone by so quickly, it’s hard to believe we’re already at the penultimate race of the year! It’s always nice to race in Brazil, especially at Interlagos, which is a challenging circuit. The track is quite unusual because it runs counter-clockwise, but also because half of it is extremely fast and the other half is very technical. You have to make compromises to find the right settings. Toyota has generally been quite strong at Interlagos, and I’m always quick on this track, so I hope that will be the case this year too. It was fantastic to be on the podium at the last race, especially in front of all our Japanese supporters, and I hope to be fighting at the front again this weekend. Last year, I was on the front row of the starting grid in Brazil and I believe this year’s car will suit this circuit well. So, I’m optimistic. I am determined to finish the season as we started it: on a high note.

Kamui Kobayashi – Race Car Driver:

This is an incredible opportunity for me to make my Grand Prix debut, but of course, it’s unfortunate for Timo, as I know how much he was looking forward to racing again. Fortunately for me, I was able to do a few laps in the car on Friday at Suzuka and, even though it was on a wet track, it will be a great help for this weekend! I’ve never raced at Interlagos before, but I know the track from practicing on the simulator and watching the races on television, so I don’t think it will take me long to learn it. It’s going to be a tough weekend, but I feel ready to take on the challenge, and I know the team supports me 100%! Just a few days ago, I didn’t expect to be the main driver for this weekend, so it’s impossible for me to set any goals. I just want to do my best and finish the race without any issues. The rest will be a bonus.

Pascal Vasselon – Chassis Manager:

After recent works, Interlagos is now as smooth as any other track. This leaves us with an interesting layout offering a good challenge, with low, medium, and high-speed corners and long straights. This means you have to find a compromise in terms of aerodynamic downforce and drag to perform well in the twisty inner section and have a chance to overtake at the end of the start-finish straight. We have always been fast in Brazil, so we expect to be competitive. In terms of aerodynamic efficiency, Interlagos is very close to our baseline configuration that we use in the wind tunnel, so our car is well optimized for this type of circuit. We are heading to Brazil after finishing on the podium in the last two races, so we have high expectations, and I am confident that our performance will be strong.