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Trulli: I was slowed down at Austria
By role May 21 2003
Jarno Trulli had to fight a tough race on Sunday to be able to grab a point at Austria. The Italian driver was sixth on the grid after a great qualifying effort on Saturday that even surprised the own Trulli.
Trulli had his expectations to beon the top 10 for the qualifying:

"The aim was to beat the tyres to give them better grip. I managed to clinch 6th place in qualifying, which made me really happy. We actually thought we might have trouble getting into the top 10."

The race was a different story as he was blocked at the start and later on he experienced a spin that cost him lots of places:

"I could have gained a few places, but I got past Nick Heidfeld on the right and I was blocked in before the first corner, which was a shame," says Trulli. "I was holding onto my position when the rain started to fall. The track became as slippery as ice, and I span off on lap 15."

The team reacted quickly to the incident and immediately changed the strategy:

"Unfortunately, I was slowed down by other drivers who were slower than me, and I couldn't get past them," says Jarno. "The team then decided to change my strategy but after my first stop, my car's handling changed, and I could no longer attack as I had been doing. I managed to hold on to my 8th place, however, after a struggle with Antonio Pizzonia."

A hard fight for a well deserved point though his place on the grid had made his expectations higher.

Trulli, however, is looking forward to Monaco where he expects to be higher on the grid:

"I have always been competitive at the Monaco Grand Prix, and our R23 should be comfortable there."

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