Toyota Confirm Drivers for 2004

[Bollocks#999]

Da Matta and Panis will continue on for Toyota for '04:

http://f1.racing-live.com/en/

 

[SandStorm]

Brilliant!

 

[Mr Devil]

another door goes SLAM!

 

[Brett]

Yes another door goes slam for Jv . . . oh well, too bad. (BTW, I'm just giving you a hard time because I know you are a big Jv fan, I don't mean any harm by it.)

 

[vat_man]

Interesting - I thought Panis might be a bit iffy, but de Matta's looked fairly solid for his first year. They've shown a bit of improvement as the year's worn on - still, there's a bit of a question over that car with the rumours over the plans for the Ferrari 2002 car being leaked. Handy leg up, I suppose...

 

[Brett]

Well as of late Panis hasn't been too bad, but da Matta being his first year, has been much more solid.

 

[GilesGuthrie]

It's the only logical choice for them really. Panis is a solid racer and a good development driver, and they clearly believe they have a star in Da Matta. I must say that I was much more impressed with him at Silverstone than at Albert Park - he's really got to grips with F1 now.

The team needs stability, and firing the drivers is about the worst thing you can do. Unless they're Eddie Irvine or Johnny Herbert, that is. Or if they're single-handedly consuming 15% of the budget...

I think Toyota have done the right thing.

 

[millencolin]

Da Matta has done well this year, better than i expected.

 

[Bollocks#999]

Originally posted by GilesGuthrie
Or if they're single-handedly consuming 15% of the budget...

I think Toyota have done the right thing.

Talking about who here mate? I can think of at least 2 drivers like that, **** there is only 2 drivers like that

And yes Toyota have done the right thing, they have learnt from the mistake they made in that area last year

 

[GilesGuthrie]

Originally posted by Bollocks#999
Talking about who here mate? I can think of at least 2 drivers like that, **** there is only 2 drivers like that

And yes Toyota have done the right thing, they have learnt from the mistake they made in that area last year

One of them has their salary paid for by Shell, so it's not so much of an issue. Besides, if the numbers from F1 Racing are to be believed, I think that there's only one driver who fits the bill. I wouldn't want to say who it is, because Mr Devil will get upset again.

 

[Brett]

Originally posted by GilesGuthrie
One of them has their salary paid for by Shell, so it's not so much of an issue. Besides, if the numbers from F1 Racing are to be believed, I think that there's only one driver who fits the bill. I wouldn't want to say who it is, because Mr Devil will get upset again.

. . . yes he would get upset. But oh well! j/k But now that people have said that firing disrupts a team, Toyota has done good by keeping both drivers. And da Matta has become a better driver pretty much with every race . . . I think that it just has helped a ton to just get experience in the car, which really is an obvious.

 

[Matrixhasu77]

Wow, Da Matta is probably one of my favorite drivers of the lesser powered cars. Maybe next year he might get to lead more often like he did at Silverstone thanks to the crazy fool who ran on course. I'd definately like to see a Toyota win a GP. He's really improved with the season since CART last year.

 

[Brett]

Well when you look at, Toyota's engine isn't really all that underpowered. But their chassis and aerodynamics don't quite match up to the bigger teams. At least it doesn't really seem Toyota's engine is all that lacking.

 

[Bollocks#999]

Toyota lesser powered? when they debuted last year at Melbourne they where the guys that wher fastest through the speed trap, probably due to running less wing on the cars than the big boys sure, but still fastest

Once they get the Aero/Chassis thing sorted, this car is gonna be a bullet

 

[vat_man]

I don't think that's quite what Vashthestampede said - you might want to re-read his post. No-one's accusing the Toyotas of being short of grunt...

 

[Brett]

I'm definitely not saying the Toyota is short of grunt because frankly I think it pretty much equals all of the top teams in grunt. Their top speeds down straights show they have a good amount of grunt. The only thing is though they lack the chassis/aerodynamics of the top teams. If they get that sorted out, they will no doubt be able to contend with the top teams.

 

[GilesGuthrie]

The grunty engine shows, as did their inexperience last year. Basically, at a track like Albert Park, being quickest in the traps isn't really what it's all about. As McLaren and Ferrari have shown, aero efficiency is where it's at, and it's there that Toyota are lacking.

I was impressed with Da Matta's maturity in holding off the field at Silverstone. And he really showed Trulli and Panis how to do a restart, didn't he?!

 

[Matrixhasu77]

Originally posted by VashTheStampede
Well when you look at, Toyota's engine isn't really all that underpowered. But their chassis and aerodynamics don't quite match up to the bigger teams. At least it doesn't really seem Toyota's engine is all that lacking.

Well, I wasn't trying to say their engine is underpowered. I was trying to convey what you mention in this post; I just couldn't think of a way to word it. Da Matta did hold Kimi off at Silverstone, after all.

 

[Brett]

Yeah he did hold off Kimi, but there towards of the end of the race, he didn't do all that great of a job of holding anyone off. And talking aero efficiency, Renault has proven what aero efficiency can do for a car this year. Da Matta definitely showed everyone has a restart should be done. Hopefully Toyota can get their aero and chassis together so we can enjoy another team competing for wins.

 

[Bollocks#999]

Originally posted by vat_man
I don't think that's quite what Vashthestampede said - you might want to re-read his post. No-one's accusing the Toyotas of being short of grunt...

oops my bad, did just what you suggested and discovered my mistake

Sorry Vash

 

[Brett]

Originally posted by Bollocks#999
oops my bad, did just what you suggested and discovered my mistake

Sorry Vash

Oh it's cool. And yeah your bad, don't let it happen again.

 

[Bollocks#999]