Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
Started from pit lane

Race Classification: 9th (+61.457s)

Pit Stop Laps: 37

Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
Grid: 14th

Race Classification: 17th (+90.970s)

Pit Stop Laps: 21, 49

Panasonic Toyota Racing suffered another frustrating day at the Nürburgring as the German Grand Prix ended with the team narrowly missing out on the points. Following yesterday’s weather-affected qualifying, the race was always likely to be difficult and the team planned its strategy with that in mind. Both drivers started on heavy fuel loads and the super soft Bridgestone Potenza tyres, with Timo Glock lining up from the pit lane as part of his strategy. Jarno Trulli fought hard for position on the opening lap but was hit by another car, forcing him to pit for a new front wing on lap two. He returned to the track in 19th and was lapping on the pace of the top-six cars before becoming stuck in traffic and pitting for medium tyres after a third of the race. Timo, as the only car on a one-stop strategy, battled valiantly on his heavy fuel load and by half distance he was in the top 10. He made the latest first pit stop of all to switch to medium tyres and continued his charge for the points. He closed within half a second of the top eight but narrowly missed out after making up 11 places during the race. Jarno took advantage of clear air in the closing stages to record the second-fastest race lap but his first-lap incident had by then denied him any chance of points.

Jarno Trulli
“The race was over for me at the first corner. There were several cars fighting for position but I suddenly saw another car go past me and jump over my front wing because there was no space. I couldn’t see that part of my wing but I could feel there was something wrong so I came in and the team changed it. After that the car felt good but unfortunately as soon as I caught up with the field I was always stuck in traffic and couldn’t do anything. When I had a clear track ahead of me later in the race I put in some quick laps and was second fastest overall but it was too late.”

Timo Glock
“In general I am reasonably satisfied with my performance today because I started from the pit lane and finished ninth on a track where overtaking is very difficult. We had a good strategy after what happened in qualifying yesterday but unfortunately I had some traffic in the first stint which cost me time. I only had around four laps without traffic all day but when I had a clear track I was quick. If it wasn’t for the traffic I would have had a better chance at scoring points. On the last stint I was quicker than (Heikki) Kovalainen but I just couldn’t get past. I pushed really hard and tried to overtake twice but I couldn’t manage. But we need to qualify higher so we can fight at the front in the race and we will work on this for the next Grand Prix.”

Tadashi Yamashina – Team Principal
“Unfortunately we couldn’t make the most of the race today, despite having the potential in the car to get a much better result. The race was decided for us in qualifying; starting from where we did made it extremely difficult to finish in the points even though the car had quite good performance, as you can see from Jarno’s second-fastest race lap. Now we have to work towards the Hungarian Grand Prix, where we will fight to achieve a significantly better result. The Hungaroring is a track which could suit our cars, and we have a good record there historically, so we will do our very best to get back among the leading teams.”

What is your history with the Nürburgring?
The first time I went there was in 2000 when I was racing in ADAC Formula Junior, during my first season of car racing. Since then I’ve been there quite a lot, particularly before I reached Formula 1 in 2004 as basically all my racing was in Germany. So it feels like a second home to me. It’s also a race where I have generally always had success; I won or was on the podium in almost every race I’ve had there.

What is your best memory of the track?
I have a lot of good memories but the best is probably from GP2 in 2007. The year before I was not in a competitive car and I struggled in the midfield, which is basically my only bad memory of the track. But when GP2 went back there in 2007 I was with iSport so it was a different story. I qualified on pole by more than half a second and won the feature race, then finished fifth in the sprint race. That was a really good weekend for my championship and it’s the last time I raced at the Nürburgring so I hope I can keep up the good record!

Is it special for you to race there?
Nowadays it is a great feeling to race at the Nürburgring because I am in my own country, with lots of my fans in the grandstands and some family and friends around as well. It’s also one of Toyota’s home races so that makes it special for the team too. But I have to say until I started competing in Formula 1 or GP2 it wasn’t unusual at all to be racing on home ground because I grew up in German racing so every event was a local one! Once I moved into international competition I only raced in Germany once or twice a year, if at all, so then it became a really special thing for me.

Do you have a favourite corner on the current Formula 1 lay-out?
I don’t have a favourite corner as such but the left-right Schumacher S is an enjoyable part of the track. It was flat-out last year but with the new regulations it might be different this time. Apart from that the track has a nice flow, although the revised first sector is a bit slower than it used to be and overall it is really difficult to overtake.

Is it more motivating to race in your home Grand Prix or does it put you under additional pressure?
I don’t feel any extra pressure at my home race; everything is positive. From track to track my motivation doesn’t really change; I always give my all and do my very best to get a strong result for the team. Sure, it might be a bit more enjoyable to succeed in my home race but it doesn’t make any difference to my lap time – or to the number of points given out at the end. Every race is important so if you’re not giving 100% you are not doing your job properly.

What do you think of the Nordschleife lay-out?
It is a massively impressive track and it’s really quite incredible to think they used to race Formula 1 cars around there. I first drove it around eight years ago and I was completely taken aback by the place; I had never seen a race track which is 22km long! Even in a road car you feel the speed and the excitement so it must have been awesome in a Formula 1 car. There are a lot of corners and I can’t remember all the names! But I can drive a whole lap and know what’s coming next; that’s the important bit. I don’t have one favourite corner because they are all fantastic. It’s just a really, really nice track to drive.

How often have you experienced the Nordschleife since that first time?
I haven’t driven it so much since then, maybe 10 laps or so, but I was there a few weeks ago in a Toyota Auris, which was great fun. I did a few laps and it still gives me a great feeling of excitement. I used to play on some video games quite a bit and drive the Nordschleife, but I don’t have time for that now.

How is your relationship with the German fans?
I feel a lot of support from the German fans. It’s good to have a lot of fans in the grandstands; it’s a nice feeling to see people wearing Toyota caps and shirts. With five German drivers on the grid the German fans have a lot of guys to support and we all feel very much at home at the Nürburgring or Hockenheim. Toyota is the local team for the Nürburgring so we will have plenty of support and I hope we can give them the result they expect.

If you weren’t a Formula 1 driver, would you go to watch the German Grand Prix?
That’s hard to say because it’s tricky to consider what I would do in a completely different situation to the one I am in. But I’ve seen the fans in the campsites with their loud music, having a few drinks and just being passionate about Formula 1 for the whole weekend; they seem to have a lot of fun. Maybe you get more information from the TV but you don’t have that atmosphere so I think I’d be there with the fans where the action is.

What positives do you take out of the Silverstone weekend?
The qualifying performance was definitely a very encouraging sign as this continued our strong form from Turkey. I was in the top four in all three sessions and only a 10th of a second from the fastest time in Q2, which is usually when the fastest times of the whole weekend are set. The car felt really good and I almost got third place, although I was happy enough with fourth. So that was definitely a very positive sign, it is just a pity the race didn’t live up to our expectations.

What did you expect for the race?
From fourth place I thought we had a chance to fight for the podium and certainly we expected a strong points finish because I was on a very competitive fuel load. That all changed at the start though and after that the best we could achieve was seventh place.

What happened at the start?
We had a launch problem so the car didn’t get off the line as fast as normal and a couple of cars passed me immediately. I fought hard into the first corner and managed to hold on to seventh place even though a few cars behind me had more momentum from the start. It’s always a bit hectic in the first corner at Silverstone but I held firm.

How did the car feel during the race?
I didn’t have the same feeling I had in qualifying. The car was sliding around a bit and I think this was due to the set-up we chose on Saturday. It worked great in qualifying but the weather on race day was a little cooler than I expected so I was having some issues getting the tyres working properly. I pushed as hard as possible but the top six was just out of reach.

If that was the last British Grand Prix at Silverstone, what are your thoughts?
It wasn’t the result we expected but at least we scored points again. I have never enjoyed much luck at Silverstone to be honest and in 2004 I had the worst accident of my career there. I think the best performance I’ve had at Silverstone was last year when it was raining and I started 14th but finished seventh. The race result was the same this year but I was not as happy with my day.

Did you have any car upgrades for Silverstone? Will there be more for Nürburgring?
We brought a small package of upgrades for the British Grand Prix and they gave us some extra performance, although our rivals are also developing all the time so it’s not easy to close the gap. We definitely have the potential to do it and everyone is working really hard. As with most races this year we should have a few new items on the car at the Nürburgring which are expected to bring improved performance.

What does the German Grand Prix mean for you and the team?
Well, I am Italian so my home Grand Prix is always Monza but as part of the Toyota team I have a few other ‘second home’ races and Germany is one of them. The Nürburgring is really close to the factory so it’s a special race for a lot of the guys in the team – including Timo – and we really want to do well there. It’s nice when we can see our fans and colleagues from the factory in the grandstands and that makes us even more determined to deliver a stronger performance than Silverstone.

Do you have fond memories of the Nürburgring?
I have some great memories of the Nürburgring, particularly back in 1999 when I was on the podium for the first time in Formula 1. That was a wet race and the conditions were really difficult but, even though I didn’t have the most competitive car, I pushed to the maximum and finished second. Actually, the weather at the Nürburgring is always a question mark because it is in the hills and surrounded by forest. Even though one of my best races at the track was in the wet, I hope it stays dry for the race this year but it’s difficult to predict.

RE/MAX is the official partner for real estate services in Malta and the rest of Europe. If you require information regarding property in Malta contact one of our offices which can be found on www.remax-malta.com/contact.aspx

Jarno Trulli (Car 9, Chassis TF109-06)
Grid: 4th

Race Classification: 7th (+68.307s)

Pit Stop Laps: 18, 46

Timo Glock (Car 10, Chassis TF109-05)
Grid: 8th

Race Classification: 9th (+69.823s)

Pit Stop Laps: 19, 48

Panasonic Toyota Racing left Silverstone with two points after a frustrating British Grand Prix at Silverstone today. Hopes were high for a podium challenge after an extremely competitive qualifying performance but on another chilly Silverstone afternoon they turned to disappointment when the red lights went out to signify the start of the race. Jarno Trulli started on the second row but a launch issue saw him lose ground off the line to leave him seventh at the end of the first lap. Timo Glock dropped three places to 11th on the opening lap. Jarno’s first pit stop came on lap 18 and he opted for another set of soft Bridgestone Potenza tyres, with fast work by the pit crew moving him up to sixth. Timo made his first pit stop a lap later and followed the same tyre strategy, emerging again in 11th. With track temperatures only 30°C, the team chose a short final stint for both drivers on the hard tyres. Jarno dropped to seventh but Timo came out ninth and fighting for the final point. As Jarno brought the car home in seventh, Timo hounded the eighth-placed Kimi Raikkonen but there was no opportunity to pass.

Jarno Trulli
“It was a very hard race for me. I had a difficult start because the car didn’t pull away as fast as normal, so I lost a couple of positions. I was trying to fight back all through the race but it was not easy and the car was sliding around quite a lot; maybe this was because of the aero set-up I chose yesterday. I expected the weather today to be a little warmer than it was and I was struggling a bit with my set-up, especially on long runs. Our strategy was okay but we expected more from this race so I am determined to make up for it in Germany.”

Timo Glock
“It’s a pity to miss out on the points, especially as I was really quick out of traffic and at the end I was able to catch Kimi (Raikkonen) quite easily. The problem was at the first corner when I lost a few positions; that left me in traffic and compromised my race. Still, I didn’t give up and I was fighting with (Giancarlo) Fisichella in the middle stint when there was a chance to get in the points. On the hard tyres at the end the car felt good and I very quickly caught Kimi but I had no chance to overtake. I tried into the final corner on the last lap but it didn’t work out. Now I am looking to the next Grand Prix, which is a home race for me and the team. I hope it will be a bit warmer there which would suit our car more than the low temperatures today.”

John Howett – President
“We expected a better result than this but the race didn’t turn out as we hoped. Qualifying was very promising and we genuinely expected to fight for the podium but Jarno lost positions at the start and Timo was squeezed going into the first corner. Two points is far less than we expected after the qualifying result but this will motivate us to develop further and come back stronger for one of our home Grands Prix at the Nürburgring.”

RE/MAX is the official Real Estate partner of formula Toyota Formula 1 team.  For Real Estate in Malta contact RE/MAX Malta for a fully comprehensive real estate service.

Real Estate Company in Malta linked with Toyota Formula one

It is not too long ago when RE/MAX was an official sponsor of the Jordon Car.   Ever since the Jordon team cancelled their participation with F1 – RE/MAX always felt that there was something missing.  

At the beginning of this season RE/MAX confirmed their partnership with Toyota Motorsport GmbH. The contract designates RE/MAX Europe the “Official Real Estate Services Supplier” of the team and the RE/MAX logo will appear on the overalls of all Panasonic Toyota Racing drivers, the pit crew helmets, pit gantry and other team branding platforms.

 Tadashi Yamashina, Chairman of Toyota Motorsport, said: “I am very pleased to welcome RE/MAX Europe to our team as an Official Supplier. It is an honour to have the support of a brand of the calibre of RE/MAX Europe and we will work hard to succeed on and off the track with them. Everyone knows the global economic situation so it is particularly encouraging at this time to be adding another prominent partner to our growing portfolio.”

Chuck Lemire, Chief Operating Officer of RE/MAX Europe, added: “It is fitting for RE/MAX Europe to be associated with such a superior sport as Formula 1. As does Toyota Motorsport, we at RE/MAX Europe have a passion for quality, innovation and service.  Our agents in 38 European countries thrive for excellence every single day.  We are excited to team with Toyota Motorsport and we firmly believe this is the right partnership to increase the awareness that RE/MAX is the best choice for your real estate needs.

RE/MAX Malta Regional director commented by saying “Toyota and RE/MAX are both brands of excellence and with this association the combined presence of two giants of their own industries should be equally beneficial.”  “Formula 1 is very popular in Malta so we are sure the Maltese will get exposure to the brand”

Written by:

Jeffrey Buttigieg, Marketing

Contact: +356 99475620

RE/MAX Malta was the 45^th country of 72 countries to join RE/MAX International.  RE/MAX is the largest real estate network in the world.  If your looking to buy, sell or rent property in Malta, contact one of their offices or go www.remax-malta.com/contact.aspx