Toyota have had a torrid time so far this season, but on the back of some points at Montreal, both Toyota drivers are looking forward to the US Grand Prix and are both hoping to score some much needed points for the team.
Since Indianapolis became home to the US Grand Prix in 2000, the Toyota team have recorded some strong results, with Jarno Trulli finishing fourth place last season having started from the back of the grid.
“As the home of American motor racing, Indianapolis is a special venue and it has a special atmosphere to go with it,” Ralf Schumacher explained. “Unfortunately, it has never been a very lucky track for me and I have had a couple of incidents that I would prefer to forget. Now I will look to put those behind me with a more positive visit to the venue.
“The main challenge of the Speedway’s Formula 1 circuit is to balance the set-up of the car. We have to reach a good top speed along the banked start-finish straight into the first corner while keeping the car stable through the slow and twisty infield section. This season has been a struggle for me but I remain confident that we can turn our form around. We scored a point at Montreal and Toyota has a strong recoed from it’s races at Indianapolis so we will hope to give the team a boost with a good result on Sunday.”
Jarno Trulli also has confidence in Toyota. “Since I have been at Toyota, out car has always been competitive at Indianpolis,” he began. “In 2005, I took pole position and last year I finished fourth despite starting from the pit lane.
“The Speedway plays host to one of the most important races in the world so it is a special place to drive. You can really see how the people are passionate about motorsport. I enjot the atmosphere both at the circuit and in the town because everyone is so friendly.
“The Formula One track is not particularly technical but it is slippery and we work hard on the mechanical grip in the slow corners to allow us to take off downforce for straight-line speed. We have been having a difficult season in 2007 and the Canadaian Grand Prix was a very hard race for me but now I am hoping for a better weekend’s work.”
