Trulli's crazy race

Renault's Jarno Trulli ended his season on a high by finishing fifth at Suzuka after starting way back in nineteenth place. The Italian was disappointed to be unable to set a time in Saturday qualifying due to the rain but he made up for it in the race. By the end of the first lap he was already up to thirteenth and his two-stop strategy got him home in the points.

"It was crazy!" Trulli told the team website about his race. "I got a great start, and then just pushed like mad. The car handled fantastically: I had lots of confidence in the car, and could really push. We managed to round the season off with a few more points: we did a good job."

Trulli thinks he could well have finished on the podium if only he'd started higher up the grid. "It was one of my best races this year," he said. "But we really lost the chance during qualifying yesterday, when the rain prevented me from doing a timed lap although I could have got pole in the dry. We could certainly have finished higher, but I'm not complaining."

Teammate Fernando Alonso didn't fare so well; the Spaniard retired on lap eighteen with an engine failure when running in second place. But between the pair of them, Trulli and Alonso put Renault fourth in the constructors' -- it's too soon for Trulli to summarize his season but he's sure next year will see the team fight just as hard.

"It's a bit early to draw any conclusions because it is all still too fresh," he said of 2003. "Having said that, I'm pleased with my season. We may have missed some opportunities, and I ran out of luck on a few occasions, but I think we can give ourselves a pat on the back."

"We achieved the objectives set at the start of the year. I know I am staying at Renault next year, and we can count on the team to be strong. The car improved with every race this year, and we are not stopping there…"

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