Forma1

[Ear]

Olivier Panis retires from Formula 1
Toyota revises test driver line-up

Monday 18 September 2006

Panasonic Toyota Racing announced today that Olivier Panis has decided to leave the team at the end of 2006 and thereby put an end to his twelve-year Formula One career.

Olivier, whose test driver contract expires at the end of this year, explained: "Toyota has made much progress and I am happy to have been a part of this. The team was always very motivated and still is. I am really positive about the job the whole team has done and will miss everyone I have worked with, yet I know that it is time for me to move on and fulfil my wish to race again. I am looking forward to new racing challenges outside Formula 1 but I will keep a close eye on Toyota's performance and hope they achieve all the success they deserve."

The team extends its thanks and gratitude to Olivier for his support over the last four years and wishes him all the best for his future endeavours.

Panasonic Toyota Racing Team Principal, Tsutomu Tomita, says: "We are very thankful to Olivier for the high level of commitment he put into working with the whole team all along our four years of collaboration. His technical experience and human qualities greatly contributed to our team development as much as to the improvement of its overall performance. We understand and accept his desire to continue racing. We thank him for sharing his know-how and will support him in whatever he chooses to do."

With the likely revisions of testing format and new driving duties for Olivier Panis and Ricardo Zonta after the end of 2006, Panasonic Toyota Racing expects to reach an agreement soon for Franck Montagny to join as third and test driver.

Panasonic Toyota Racing is also looking to take advantage of the Toyota Young Drivers Programme to promote a young driver to the testing team.

Once the test driver line-up has been finalised, Panasonic Toyota Racing will issue further details.

[Ear]

Silverstone Test: Day 1
Tuesday 19 September 2006

Location: Silverstone, United Kingdom
Dates: 19-21 September 2006
Drivers: Ricardo Zonta, Franck Montagny
Track Length: 5.141km

Panasonic Toyota Racing started its three-day test program in Silverstone today. The team headed north to this particular circuit to take advantage of the track surface while testing tyres in preparation for the final three races. Jarno Trulli headed out early to Japan to prepare for the "Mega Web" event, which takes place every year in Tokyo and includes a demonstration run for fans. As a result, he will not be present this week and this provided an opportunity for Franck Montagny to take over Jarno's duties today and drive alongside third driver Ricardo Zonta. Although he has not signed a contract yet, he was able to familiarise himself with the team. Due to the fact that Ricardo was not feeling well and will head home earlier than planned, Franck will carry on testing tomorrow. Race driver Ralf Schumacher will also be on hand to begin his final grand prix preparations.

Ricardo Zonta - Chassis TF106/06B
Best Lap Time: 1m19.377s
Total laps: 50
Total Distance: 257.05km

"Today's running went well, even though I am fighting off the flu and it was hard to concentrate in the car with fever and cold symptoms. We lost some time in the morning due to this, but in the afternoon I pushed hard in order to help the team collect the data they needed. I could not do as much balance work as we wanted to and therefore started the tyre testing straight away. Today was the final tyre test for Shanghai and hopefully tomorrow Franck can carry on for me and the team can get a full day's testing in for the following races."

Franck Montagny - Chassis TF106/07B
Best Lap Time: 1m19.659s
Total laps: 57
Total Distance: 293.037km

"I am quite happy to have driven for Toyota today. Overall, I had a really good feeling - about the car and its handling, the team and everyone who worked with me today. I felt that everyone was very professional and made me feel comfortable. Of course, I will need more time to get to know all the areas of such a large team. For my part, we focused on tyre testing and I am sure there is still a lot to do, but my overall feeling was quite positive. I was glad to be of help to the team and enjoyed driving the car."

Gerd Pfeiffer - Test Team Manager
"Both drivers worked hard today and concluded the session with competitive times. Franck's programme focused mainly on tyre testing and helping us collect data in preparation for the last grand prix races. He was very helpful and showed he has a great deal of experience in Formula One. Unfortunately, Ricardo was not feeling too well in the morning. However, because he worked really hard in the afternoon despite his cold, we were able to finish up the tyre testing for the Chinese Grand Prix. Tomorrow we will continue preparations with Franck and Ralf at the wheel."

[Ear]

Silverstone Test: Day 2
Wednesday 20 September 2006

Location: Silverstone, United Kingdom
Dates: 19-21 September 2006
Drivers: Ralf Schumacher, Franck Montagny
Track Length: 5.141km

Testing continued today for Panasonic Toyota Racing at the Silverstone circuit. Overcast skies in the morning gave way to sunshine in the late afternoon. The team took advantage of the somewhat decent Silverstone weather to work on tyre comparisons for the overseas races. Race driver Ralf Schumacher began his set-up preparations for the final grands prix, while Franck Montagny filled in for Ricardo Zonta, who was not feeling well. Tomorrow will see Ralf Schumacher at the wheel joined by test driver Olivier Panis.

Ralf Schumacher – Chassis TF106/07B
Best Lap Time: 1m21.125s
Total laps: 50
Total Distance: 257.05km

"We had a mixed day today. In the morning I was able to get some good running in, but we had some issues with the engine in the afternoon. The team worked on it and I was able to go back out, but my test day finished early when the engine failed before the end of the session. This was something we were testing and although we lost some time due to this, we will try to make up for it tomorrow. I hope to finish testing some tyre compounds and find the right balance for the next races."

Franck Montagny – Chassis TF106/06B
Best Lap Time: 1m20.620s
Total laps: 92
Total Distance: 427.927km

"We wanted to do some tyre evaluations in the morning but it was a little too cold for us to get some relevant data. For me, it seems that the car is quite sensitive to different weather conditions and this I could definitely feel in comparison to yesterday. Therefore, I found it difficult to find a good set-up in the morning. However, we did finally find the right balance, got through some tyre testing and I think we found a good choice. I had one little spin out due to a mechanical failure on my car and then we lost some time repairing this, but I think we had a productive day in the end. I would be happy to return and drive again for the team, once we have signed a contract for me to take over testing duties."

Gerd Pfeiffer – Test Team Manager
"The track conditions were quite cool this morning, but we were happy that the afternoon turned out better allowing us to get in some good tyre comparison results. We were glad to have Franck join us for another day of testing on such short notice. I think he has made a positive impact over these two days and are grateful for his help in preparing the cars. Ralf's day was a bit more challenging. He got in some good running in the morning, but his car suffered an engine failure, ending his day earlier than planned. Tomorrow we hope to finish off the rest of our test program before the team heads out to the races."

[Ear]

Silverstone Test Day 3 Round-Up
Thursday 21 September 2006

Location: Silverstone, United Kingdom
Dates: 19-21 September 2006
Drivers: Ricardo Zonta (19), Franck Montagny (19-20), Ralf Schumacher (20-21), Olivier Panis (21)
Track Length: 5.141km

Summary
Ricardo Zonta Best lap: 1m19.377s, total laps: 50
Franck Montagny Best lap: 1m19.659s, total laps: 149
Ralf Schumacher 1m21.125s, Total laps: 104
Olivier Panis Best lap: 1m22.216s, total laps: 82

Today's testing at Silverstone concluded Panasonic Toyota Racing's preparations for the next two races in China and Japan. Being that the team had to make final decisions for two races at once, this made for a tight agenda. All drivers worked on finding the right set-ups and tyre choices, in addition to other small test items like practicing launches. Olivier and Ralf lost time in the afternoon today, each having different mechanical issues that needed to be worked on. Otherwise the day was fairly productive and the team even had the chance to meet and take a group photo with British guitarist Chris Rea. A guest of the team, Chris is a well-known motor racing fan, who has also dabbled with racing himself. Now the team will pack up and head to the Far-East, where hopes are high that valuable points can be collected before the season final in Brazil.

Ralf Schumacher – Chassis TF106/07B
Best Lap Time: 1m21.391s
Total laps: 54
Total Distance: 277.614km

"We spent the day mostly working on tyres for the Suzuka race. Some other tests we did included launches and balance work. I lost some time in the afternoon due to a fuel pump change. Overall, the car is feeling good and I think that our car can be competitive in the coming races. The team has worked hard at each and every test to prepare for the races, but now we will have to see how the coming race weekends unfold."

Olivier Panis – Chassis TF106/06B
Best Lap Time: 1m22.216s
Total laps: 82
Total Distance: 421.562km

"It was a tough day dealing with the wind and trying to drive the car in these conditions. But in the end, we finished most of our program and got through many laps. I worked on tyres for Suzuka and went through some set-up and balance tests. We had some engine trouble in the afternoon, but I was still able to go back out and run some laps. I think we can make some good conclusions based on the tyre testing we did and it will be interesting to see how the car behaves in China and Japan."

Gerd Pfeiffer – Test Team Manager
"This track is similar to Suzuka so this was quite an important test as far as tyre testing is concerned. We had some set backs with Ricardo falling ill and engine issues during the week, but the team worked hard to analyze everything and as a result we got through most of our testing agenda. The work we did here is very useful and in the end we do have some positive findings. As always, it is difficult to say where we stand, but we are hoping for the best."

[Ear]

Jerez Test Day 1
Wednesday 11 October 2006

Location: Circuito Permanente de Jerez, Spain
Drivers: Ricardo Zonta, Olivier Panis
Track Length: 4.428kms

FLAMENCO AND FLAN

Before heading into the last race of the season in Brazil and the following winter break, Panasonic Toyota Racing travelled south to the Andalusian region of Spain for a two-day test at the Circuito Permanente de Jerez. Warm, sunny skies welcomed the team today with third driver Ricardo Zonta and test driver Olivier Panis putting in just over a combined 200 laps. Both drivers had successful days without any major issues and will return tomorrow for the second and final day of testing for the team.

Ricardo Zonta – Chassis TF106/07B
Best Lap Time: 1m17.988
Total laps:  111
Total distance: 491.508kms
"Today's running was really positive. We got a lot of laps in and were able to cover a lot of tyre test items. It is hard to say that the track here is comparable to that in Sao Paolo, especially because the circuit there has changed so much and the weather is unpredictable. But you can say that the traction is similar. Today I believe the track conditions here changed greatly between the morning and afternoon sessions. If we would have put new tyres on the car in the morning, I feel that we could have had a better lap time. Tomorrow we will continue this testing to see how the track and the tyres behave before we make a final decision."

Olivier Panis – Chassis TF106/06B
Best Lap Time: 1m19.342s
Total laps: 95
Total distance: 420.66kms
"Quite honestly, today was an ordinary day for me. I spent the whole day collecting data and doing comparisons in order for the team to be able to analyze data they needed for the race strategy. The track conditions were okay, the car ran well and I look forward to working on the Brazil tyre programme tomorrow."

Gerd Pfeiffer, Test Team Manager
"The driver's programmes were quite straightforward. Ricardo worked on tyre comparisons, while Olivier spent the day collecting data that the engineers in the factory needed to analyze various items on the car. Overall, the cars worked well and we made it through the day and both programmes nicely. Tomorrow we will continue the tyre programme on both cars to make the choice for Brazil."

[Ear]

Jerez Test Day 2 Round-Up
Thursday 12 October 2006

Location: Circuito Permanente de Jerez, Spain
Drivers: Ricardo Zonta, Olivier Panis
Track Length: 4.428kms

Drivers:
Ricardo Zonta Best lap: 1m17.488s, total laps: 184
Olivier Panis Best lap: 1m17.801s, total laps: 187

MY, HOW TIME FLIES

In just ten days the 2006 Formula 1 season will come to close. Today however, concluded the Panasonic Toyota Racing team's testing for this season at the Circuito Permanente de Jerez in Spain. From November last year until now, the test team has had a long and busy programme testing many different items to develop and bring the race cars forward. Mainly the team concentrated on tyres, having switched to Bridgestone and learning about a whole new tyre philosophy. Whether it was a high or low point during the season, the team always held together and pushed to improve performance. One hard worker among the many will now leave the team and head on to new pastures; Ricardo Zonta put in his last day of work for the team today and bade farewell to everyone he has worked with over the last season. Olivier Panis who was also at the wheel today, will stay on until the end of the season before he also carries on with his new challenge in life.

Ricardo Zonta – Chassis TF106/07B
Best Lap Time: 1m17.488
Total laps: 73
Total distance: 323.244kms
"Today was a challenging last day for me. We had planned to do a lot of long runs for the Brazilian race tyre choice. Unfortunately we lost some valuable time when my engine needed to be changed. In the end, we still got some running in and I think the team can make a good choice. This being my last day it is difficult to leave a team that I have worked with a long time and who have treated me so well. Looking back, we have had quite a busy and difficult season, focusing on the tyres and developing the car to improve on our results. The team was always motivated to keep moving ahead. I have always felt welcome here and I will miss everyone that I have worked with."

Olivier Panis – Chassis TF106/06B
Best Lap Time: 1m17.801s
Total laps: 92
Total distance: 407.376kms
"I am happy with today's running and our results. We worked mainly on tyres and set-up preparations for Interlagos. I was able to drive over 90 laps and collected some good data on the tyres for this race. I think we can be confident for the last race and still vie for 5th place.  The team has worked hard and it would be great to end the season on a high note."

Gerd Pfeiffer, Test Team Manager
"Overall we can be happy with this week's test. Today's running was not as smooth as yesterday, because we lost time with Ricardo's car due to an engine change. Nevertheless, Olivier was quite busy with the tyre testing for Brazil. It is too bad that we are losing Ricardo and Olivier, as both have a lot of experience and have been committed to our development over the last four years. Although Olivier will come back for winter testing, at this time, we would like to thank Ricardo for sharing his expertise and showing such dedication over the years. He will truly be missed."

[Ear]

Franck Montagny to join Panasonic Toyota Racing
Wednesday 18 October 2006

Panasonic Toyota Racing has reached an agreement for Franck Montagny to become its third driver.

The team is delighted to add Franck to its driver line-up and he will complement race drivers Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli, who are already confirmed for next season. He will begin his new role from the start of next year.

Franck, 28, boasts five years of Formula 1 testing experience and has already established a good feeling with the team after making his debut in a Toyota TF106B at Silverstone on 19 September.

Panasonic Toyota Racing Chairman and Team Principal Tsutomu Tomita said: "Franck is an experienced driver who knows the tracks and has a strong and successful record of developing Formula 1 cars. His outing at Silverstone was a good opportunity to familiarise himself with the team at a time when discussions were almost complete. He worked well within the team and his performance confirmed we have made the right decision."

[taby]

Minden tiszteletem Michael Schumacheré!
Nem hiszem hogy a közeljövõben valaki is tudná pótolni õt.
Számomra õ a Forma1 örökös legjobbja. Nemhiába igenként is használjuk már a nevét : Schumacherkedni szoktunk mikor száguldozunk ugye.
Ezuton szeretnék tisztelettel adózni Michael Schumacher versenyzõi képessége, gyõzniakarása, és eltökéltsége elõtt.
 :pofa:
Remélem az életében továbbra is ilyen sikeres lesz mint a forma1ben (bár már szerintem most se panaszkodhat).

[music]

Nem szeretem Schumachert, de a múlt hétvége alapján akár szerethetném is, mert ez valóban megérdemli a tiszteletet.
A verseny azért szinte teljesen hû képet festett az idényrõl:
- leggyorsabb volt a Ferrari, de mégsem nyert vele semmit,
- Alonso annyit ért el, amennyi kell a gyõzelemhez, gyors is volt, és a csapat is profi,
- a Williamsek sehol se voltak;
- a Toyoták jók voltak az edzésen, de a verseny egy katasztrófa;
- a McLaren nem volt átütõ, Räikkönent úgy otthagyta Button, hogy csak úgy puffant, de la Rosa pedig hiába tankolt csak 1x, nem ezzel összesen Kubicát tudta megelõzni.

Meglátjuk, mi lesz jövõre, mindenesetre annak a szabálymódosításnak örülök, hogy a SC alatt nem lehet boxba menni.

[music]

Visszakoznom kell, elolvastam a verseny utáni nyilatkozatát. Megint volt benne egy-két mondat, amitõl kinyílik a bicska az ember zsebében.

[Palaczk]

Visszakoznom kell, elolvastam a verseny utáni nyilatkozatát. Megint volt benne egy-két mondat, amitõl kinyílik a bicska az ember zsebében.

Erre gondolsz ?

"A verseny igen kaotikus volt, talán ez a legjobb szó erre" - mondta Michael a német RTL televíziónak. "Hihetetlenül gyors volt az autónk, elég lett volna a sebességünk ahhoz, hogy mindenkinek kört adjunk. Ezt teljesen komolyan mondom. Mindent egybevéve azt kell mondjam, remek volt a búcsúversenyem. Az autó fantasztikusan ment, gyorsak voltunk, bár a szerencse a mai nap elpártolt mellõlem."

"Boldog vagyok, hogy Felipe megnyerte a futamot, és Senna 1993-as sikere után hazai versenyzõt ünnepelhetett Brazília. Mindemellett pedig gratulálni szeretnék Fernandónak az újabb bajnoki címéhez."

Ha igen , akkor nem értelek ... illetve csak azt tudom mondani , hogy erõsen elfogult vagy vele szemben  :? ... talán nincs igaza , ami a lekörözést illeti ? Számolj egy kicsit .

Ebben mi volt a bicskanyitogató ? Hogy elmondta az igazságot ? Nézted te ezt a versenyt egyáltalán  

(Ha nem Schumacherre gondoltál , akkor elnézést kérek és persze érvénytelen a hozzászólásom .)

[Palaczk]

Minden tiszteletem Michael Schumacheré!
Nem hiszem hogy a közeljövõben valaki is tudná pótolni õt.
Számomra õ a Forma1 örökös legjobbja. Nemhiába igenként is használjuk már a nevét : Schumacherkedni szoktunk mikor száguldozunk ugye.
Ezuton szeretnék tisztelettel adózni Michael Schumacher versenyzõi képessége, gyõzniakarása, és eltökéltsége elõtt.
 :pofa:
Remélem az életében továbbra is ilyen sikeres lesz mint a forma1ben (bár már szerintem most se panaszkodhat).

Hadd csatlakozzak ehhez  :10: !!!

Én néha majdnem elbõgtem magam a verseny közben , mikor láttam , hogy ez az ember még mindig mire képes , és ennek ellenére befejezi . Persze , jobban belegondolva : igen , talán így a legszebb befejezni - így méltó hozzá .

[music]

Erre gondolsz ?
"A verseny igen kaotikus volt, talán ez a legjobb szó erre" - mondta Michael a német RTL televíziónak. "Hihetetlenül gyors volt az autónk, elég lett volna a sebességünk ahhoz, hogy mindenkinek kört adjunk. Ezt teljesen komolyan mondom. Mindent egybevéve azt kell mondjam, remek volt a búcsúversenyem. Az autó fantasztikusan ment, gyorsak voltunk, bár a szerencse a mai nap elpártolt mellõlem."
Ha igen, akkor nem értelek... illetve csak azt tudom mondani, hogy erõsen elfogult vagy vele szemben :? ... talán nincs igaza, ami a lekörözést illeti? Számolj egy kicsit. Ebben mi volt a bicskanyitogató ? Hogy elmondta az igazságot ? Nézted te ezt a versenyt egyáltalán  

A kiemelt részre gondoltam. És számoltam. A leggyorsabb kör 72 mp volt, ehhez képest kell viszonyítani mindent. A 10. kör környékén volt kb. 60 mp hátránya Alonsoval szemben, - akivel nagyjából egy tempóban haladt Button, Räikkönen is - és túl volt egy boxkiálláson, ami olyan 25 mp körüli idõveszteséget jelent, azaz praktikusan ennyivel kevesebb a hátránya - 35 mp - hisz a többieknek ez a kiállásuk is még hátra volt. A végén Alonsonak 6, Buttonnak 5 mp elõnye volt vele szemben, azaz rajtuk kb. fél percet hozott 60 kör alatt, Räikkönenen meg 40 mp-et.
Massához képest még a 9. helyezett Kubica sem volt körhátrányban, az elsõ 6 pedig fél percen belül volt, ez pedig az idei versenyeken egyáltalán nem számít kirívónak, sõt. Ha tényleg elég lett volna ahhoz, hogy kört adjanak mindenkinek, mi tartotta vissza ettõl? Talán nem volt motíváció? Dehogynem. Õ is ment, mint a güzü, hisz utolsó versenye volt, Massának meg a hazai pálya adta a pluszt. Mentek ezek, ahogy a csövön kifért, és ennyire futotta, s ez az ennyi így is elég lehengerlõ volt.
De nem, neki még rá kellett tenni egy lapáttal, hogy ha akartuk volna, mindenkit leköröztünk volna. Persze, a vb-címet is megszerezhették volna, csak nem akarták eléggé.

[KLaco]

Ha nem kap defektet Sumi, akkor lehet, hogy õ lekõrözte volna a mezõny nagy részét.
Bezzeg Kimi leszarta az egészet  :nagymosoly:

[Palaczk]

Erre gondolsz ?
"A verseny igen kaotikus volt, talán ez a legjobb szó erre" - mondta Michael a német RTL televíziónak. "Hihetetlenül gyors volt az autónk, elég lett volna a sebességünk ahhoz, hogy mindenkinek kört adjunk. Ezt teljesen komolyan mondom. Mindent egybevéve azt kell mondjam, remek volt a búcsúversenyem. Az autó fantasztikusan ment, gyorsak voltunk, bár a szerencse a mai nap elpártolt mellõlem."
Ha igen, akkor nem értelek... illetve csak azt tudom mondani, hogy erõsen elfogult vagy vele szemben :? ... talán nincs igaza, ami a lekörözést illeti? Számolj egy kicsit. Ebben mi volt a bicskanyitogató ? Hogy elmondta az igazságot ? Nézted te ezt a versenyt egyáltalán  

A kiemelt részre gondoltam. És számoltam. A leggyorsabb kör 72 mp volt, ehhez képest kell viszonyítani mindent. A 10. kör környékén volt kb. 60 mp hátránya Alonsoval szemben, - akivel nagyjából egy tempóban haladt Button, Räikkönen is - és túl volt egy boxkiálláson, ami olyan 25 mp körüli idõveszteséget jelent, azaz praktikusan ennyivel kevesebb a hátránya - 35 mp - hisz a többieknek ez a kiállásuk is még hátra volt. A végén Alonsonak 6, Buttonnak 5 mp elõnye volt vele szemben, azaz rajtuk kb. fél percet hozott 60 kör alatt, Räikkönenen meg 40 mp-et.
Massához képest még a 9. helyezett Kubica sem volt körhátrányban, az elsõ 6 pedig fél percen belül volt, ez pedig az idei versenyeken egyáltalán nem számít kirívónak, sõt. Ha tényleg elég lett volna ahhoz, hogy kört adjanak mindenkinek, mi tartotta vissza ettõl? Talán nem volt motíváció? Dehogynem. Õ is ment, mint a güzü, hisz utolsó versenye volt, Massának meg a hazai pálya adta a pluszt. Mentek ezek, ahogy a csövön kifért, és ennyire futotta, s ez az ennyi így is elég lehengerlõ volt.
De nem, neki még rá kellett tenni egy lapáttal, hogy ha akartuk volna, mindenkit leköröztünk volna. Persze, a vb-címet is megszerezhették volna, csak nem akarták eléggé.

Aha , hát te szemlátomást akkor se hinnél neki , ha az orrod elõtt csinálna vizet a borból vagy mit tudom én . Egyszerûbb lenne , ha leírnád , hogy utálod és kész ... én meg pont azt gondolom , hogy ha valamikor , hát most nem volt már semmi oka arcoskodni , úgyhogy ha azt mondta hogy defekt nélkül le tudta volna körözni a mezõnyt , akkor az nyilván úgy is van . Mindegy , lehet örülni hogy elment a legjobb versenyzõ , innentõl a többiek ugrabugrálhatnak , nem kell már mindenféle mondvacsinált magyarázatot keresgélni arra , hogy Schumacher miért jobb náluk .

Ezzel együtt elég szomorúnak tartom , hogy még mindig ezzel vagy elfoglalva , hogy szidalmazd . Még Alonso is meg bírta tenni , hogy elismerõen szóljon róla . De te nem , neked még mindig az a bajod , hogy egy általad vélelmezetten megalapozatlan nyilatkozatot tett (te ezt utólag , laikusként nyilván jobban meg tudod ítélni , mint õ) . Hát ... ahogy gondolod , halkan megjegyzem hogy ennek most már semmi értelme . Dehát ha valaki túl jó , azt sokak nehezen tudják elfogadni . Mintha legalábbis ez számítana , és nem az , hogy most utoljára is megmutatta , hogy ha kell , még mindig megeszi az egész bandát reggelire , szõröstül-bõröstül , legyen az keménykedõ Raikkönen vagy bárki más .