Toyota Monza test notes 2003-09-04

As this week's three-day test session draws to a close, the Panasonic Toyota Racing team now takes a brief hiatus from the Monza circuit in Italy with drivers Olivier Panis, Cristiano da Matta and Ricardo Zonta all reporting good progress ahead of next week's Italian Grand Prix at the renowned 5.793-km track.

Olivier Panis:

"We completed a reasonable amount of running today and continued our Monza preparation programme, working both on mechanical and also aerodynamic set-ups. I think our TF103 car will be reasonably competitive at the Italian Grand Prix, but it should be noted that every team has been testing here this week, so we will not really know until next weekend where we are in comparison to everyone else."

Cristiano da Matta:

"I have never driven an F1 car at Monza prior to this week's test, and although it is a very fast circuit, it is not one I find so technically demanding. Myself, Olivier and Ricardo have divided up the work this week between Italian GP preparations and more long-term development. We carried out more useful work today, completing more than 200 laps between us and overall, I believe we should in good shape for next weekend's race."

Ricardo Zonta:

"This week has been incredibly productive and I am pleased with what we have achieved. Today, we worked on various mechanical items, mainly on the suspension and dampers. Given that we were working on long-term development, the lap time today was pretty encouraging. It has been an enjoyable three days, also because I have had the chance to test alongside both Cristiano and Olivier for the first time this season."

Olivier Panis
Chassis: TF103/03
Best lap time: 1m22.30s, 80 laps completed
Working on: General set-up work for Monza

Cristiano da Matta
Chassis: TF103/07
Best lap time: 1m22.24s, 77 laps completed
Working on: General set-up work for Monza

Ricardo Zonta
Chassis: TF103/06
Best lap time: 1m22.42s, 72 laps completed
Working on: Long-term development work

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