Dieter Gass

With a successful background in Le Mans, Touring Cars and other manufacturer series, including a championship-winning stint as a racing driver from 1988- 1991, Gass joined Panasonic Toyota Racing at the start of its F programme in 2001. The German was appointed as a test engineer for the team's intensive season of preparation with the TF101 test car at 11 Grand Prix circuits worldwide. In 2002, as Panasonic Toyota Racing made its debut in the FIA Formula World Championship, he stepped up to become a race engineer for car number 25 – Allan McNish's TF102. From the Italian Grand Prix in September 2002, Gass furthered his involvement in the team's on-track activities in a new role as Chief Race Engineer, a position he continues to hold in 2006 alongside additional duties leading the engineering team at tests.