Toyota show a clean set of heels on day 1 in Barca

Strong pairing
By Site Staff
February 2 2003

F1 rookie, Cristiano da Matta, showed some of his more experienced rivals that he is in the game for real by setting the quickest time today at Barcelona. Olivier Panis joins the fun tomorrow.

The Brazilian completed 57 laps of the Spanish circuit, and finished the day 9/10ths quicker than the new BAR and over 1 sec faster than the new Williams. "It is my third test at the Barcelona circuit with the team, but actually my first here at the wheel of the TF103," Cristiano has been quoted as saying today. "After this first day, I can already say that I am happy with the way the car behaves on this track. I feel it well balanced, even more than on the Valencia circuit in the last days. We managed quite many laps and almost went through our task list for today, despite a few breaks. It is a good opening to our four-day test here since we have an extensive technical programme to cover."

Bearing in mind his relative experience this is an astounding achievement and a clear sign that Toyota are serious about improving in their second year. The site awaits the results of the remaining three days with eager anticipation.

Barcelona - 02/02/2003

1. C. Da Matta - Toyota TF103 - 1:17.182 - 56 laps
2. J. Villeneuve - BAR-Honda 005 - 1:18.043 - 39 laps
3. J. Button - BAR-Honda 005 - 1:18.139 - 54 laps
4. M. Gené - BMW Williams FW24 - 1:18.280 - 85 laps
5. R. Schumacher - BMW Williams FW25 - 1:19.800 - 52 laps