By Phil Giles
August 30 2002

Panasonic Toyota finished todays free practice session in 10th and 11th. A good showing for the team who have only ever tested at the circuit previously. Both Mika and Allan spent time on setting up the car which appears to be well suited to the fast and flowing circuit.

Allan McNish:
"Today was obviously a bit compromised for everybody due to the lack of running time but we managed to go through the main parts of our programme. We completed mechanical set-up work and tyre comparison, and we had two productive sessions overall. The test we had here last year made us think that the car could be quite strong here and, thankfully, it felt that way today."
He added: “We knew before we came here that the circuit was faster and more flowing and in the right speed range to suit our car. I think that’s plain to see and the layout is more similar to Interlagos or Sepang, where we went well. I hope that we can get our best result since the start of the year. We have had a very good first day and so if we can just retain the balance of the car to use the tyres at their best, we should be stronger.”

Mika Salo:
"We completed our programme and the car handles well in the high-speed corners. They have done a good job on the track surface and the circuit is not as bumpy as it used to be. It definitely suits our car better, and we must now focus on improving the car's balance in low-speed corners. Today's result is encouraging but it is only Friday and we have to stay focused to perform as this for the remainder of the weekend."

Last night (Thursday), the team hosted a media dinner.  Ove Anderson thanked both drivers for their solid and committed work over the last season.  He stressed that the decision not to pick them up for next year was nothing to do with their driving ability.   “The decision was very hard to make and reflects a need for fresh ideas,” He said.