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Panasonic Toyota Racing
Silverstone Test Day 3 Round-Up
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."