Friday: Toyota is in great shape in the Ardennes!

The Toyota team found a second wind today at Spa during the preparation for the 2009 Belgian Grand Prix qualifying. The Japanese group finally regained the much-sought-after performance over the past few months with very good lap times achieved one after another by Trulli and Glock in the free practice sessions.

The two drivers thus settled in comfortably on the track and sought the best balance for the race. The tire evaluation, a routine procedure, went smoothly, although the issue could not be resolved, disrupted by the rain that fell this morning.

Great hopes tonight for Toyota and its drivers: optimism.

Jarno Trulli – 1st – 7th:

« We had a good day. Honestly, there’s still work to be done to get the best out of the car. Personally, I need to improve the grip at the rear of the TF109, but overall, I’m satisfied. I have a good feeling with the car so I hope to be competitive all weekend. »

« The track was wet this morning, which means our schedule couldn’t be followed, but we did laps just to understand how the car operates in these conditions. In the afternoon, when it was dry, we went faster lap after lap. I mainly worked on my race pace. I found the right balance for the race, and the car seems to respond well. »

Timo Glock – 18th and 2nd:

Each time we return to Spa, we have an incredible experience during the first warm-up laps. It was the case again this season. It’s a fantastic and enjoyable circuit for a driver, especially when the car is competitive.

« It’s difficult to draw conclusions at the moment because of the rain, but I’m happy with my second time this afternoon. It’s very encouraging. The car seems good, and the lap times confirm it. There are still areas for improvement for qualifying to find the perfect balance. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.

Dieter Gass – Chief Engineer:

« The day is quite positive. Unfortunately, we experienced rain this morning, which disrupted our schedule because dry forecasts are expected for the rest of the weekend. Nevertheless, in the afternoon we focused on the new aerodynamics of the Toyota as well as the tire evaluation. They seem to perform well here. We are satisfied and therefore rather optimistic for the rest of the weekend. »