Panasonic Toyota - Australian GP Preview

Australian Grand Prix - Preview

Panasonic Toyota Racing heads Down Under this weekend for the Australian Grand Prix on the street circuit at Albert Park; the first round of the 2009 Formula 1 season. The new TF109 car has completed 21 test days and around 10,000km kilometres since its first official test on 19 January, including a four-day test with the Australian Grand Prix aerodynamic package in Barcelona earlier this month. These tests produced very promising results so the team makes the 16,000km journey from Germany to Australia full of optimism. Jarno Trulli made his Formula 1 debut at Albert Park in 1997 while Timo Glock's first race with Toyota was in Melbourne last year, the fifth Grand Prix of his career.In 2008 neither Jarno nor Timo finished the Australian Grand Prix so a significant improvement is expected this time around.

Jarno Trulli - Car 9

"Melbourne is a great place to visit and the Australian Grand Prix is always good fun. As a Formula 1 driver you really want to race so I am pleased the season is starting and we can get on with the competition. I am totally fired up for this season and I am feeling very positive about our chances. The TF109 is the best Toyota I have driven in pre-season testing; it feels stable and gives the driver confidence but more importantly it seems to be pretty quick, even though it's hard to make too many judgements based on testing. We made a big step last year, proving we can fight for podiums and finish regularly in the top six so I am hoping for another step forward this year. We have more experience now and the team has worked really hard for a long time on the TF109 - we are ready for the season and I am raring to go."

Timo Glock - Car 10

"It's very exciting to be going to the first race this year because the big changes to the technical regulations for 2009 give Toyota a good opportunity to fight at the front. It's really hard to predict because you don't know what other teams are working on in testing but I know our programme and the results we have seen are very encouraging. Testing has gone really well and I have a good feeling for the new car. It's a different emotion to be starting my second year with Toyota compared to 2008 because now I am much more familiar with the team and I feel I can really start the season strongly. Last year it took a few races to find the right direction for me in terms of set-up but I don't expect that to be a problem this season. Australia is anyway one of my favourite places to visit so I can't wait to get to Melbourne and get the season started."

Ex-Toyota F1 team principal dies in crash

Former Swedish rally driver and Toyota Formula 1 team principal, Ove Andersson, 70, died Wednesday in a car crash in South Africa's Western Cape province, SAPA news agency reported.
SAPA quoted Motorsports South Africa boss Beaulah Schoeman as saying that the accident happened outside Oudtshoorn where Andersson had been taking part in the Milligan Car Vintage Rally.
"Details of the accident are unclear, but it would appear that a head-on collision took place 30 kilometers (19 miles) outside of Oudtshoorn when an oncoming vehicle veered into their lane," she said.
Andersson died on impact.
"He has had many achievements in motorsport," said Schoeman, highlighting that he finished third in Monte Carlo and in San Remo in 1963 and in 1967 came second in the Monte Carlo and in the Acropolis Rally.
A year later he came second in the Tulip Rally driving a Ford Escort.
In 1971, he won four rounds of the World Rally Championship, driving for Renault Alpine.
He started rallying for Toyota in 1972 and spent the rest of his career with the Japanese firm.
Under his leadership, Toyota successfully competed in the World Rally Championship, winning four drivers' and three manufacturers' championships, a statement on Formula 1 website said.
Andersson, who also managed the Toyota Formula One Team, which made its debut in 2002, moved to South Africa late last year

TOYOTA F1 Mail Magazine

New languages live now =================================================================

And today�. �we are happy to announce that the French and Spanish websites are now live. www.toyota-f1.com is the only place to find the latest official news from Panasonic Toyota Racing, direct from the race track or the factory, including exclusive behind-the-scenes content.

Now you can access these pages in French or Spanish, either directly through http://www.toyota-f1.com/public/fr/index.html or http://www.toyota-f1.com/public/es/index.html or by using the language links on our homepage. To receive our regular newsletters in your chosen language please click on the 'Newsletter' link, cancel your current English newsletter by clicking on 'unsubscribe' and enter your email address. Then, click the 'subscribe' box, select your preferred language and enter your email address.
From the next newsletter onwards you will receive the newsletter in your chosen language.

New wallpapers have been uploaded for you; we hope you enjoy them and we look forward to sharing more exciting innovations with you.
From Australia you will also receive our regular race update reports, starting from Thursday, so you can keep up to date with all the on-track action involving Panasonic Toyota Racing.

TOYOTA F1 Mail Magazine

New languages live soon! Buenos dias and bonjour,

The new Formula 1 season is nearly upon us and Panasonic Toyota Racing is delighted to be able to share the excitement in Spanish and French on our official website, www.toyota-f1.com.
A new season brings new anticipation and new drivers, with Jarno Trulli joined by Timo Glock and Kamui Kobayashi, and French or Spanish-speaking fans of Panasonic Toyota Racing can get all the latest official news soon. With 32 nationalities working under one roof at our factory in Cologne, Germany, Panasonic Toyota Racing is truly a United Nations of Formula 1 and www.toyota-f1.com is becoming ever more international.
This latest upgrade means fans can now stay up to date with all the latest press releases hot off the press from the track or the factory, as well as our regular behind the scenes features, in Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish. Apart from those regular updates, our multilingual website also has all the information you need about our team, including profiles of our drivers and top management and details of the TF108, the car which carries our team�s hopes for the new season.
If you would like to receive your regular Panasonic Toyota Racing newsletter in another language, please visit www.toyota-f1.com and click on the 'Newsletter' link.
Firstly, cancel your current English newsletter by clicking on 'unsubscribe' and entering your email address. Then, click the 'subscribe' box, select your preferred language and enter your email address. From the next newsletter onwards you will then receive the newsletter in your chosen language.

TOYOTA F1 Mail Magazine

Panasonic Toyota Racing pre-season event to be shown live on-line

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Panasonic Toyota Racing is pleased to confirm it will broadcast live coverage on the internet of its pre-season event on Thursday 10 January from the team's technical centre in Cologne, Germany.

To ensure all media and fans do not miss a minute of the official unveiling of the new TF108 car, the event will be shown live on www.toyota-f1.com from 10.30 until around 11.10.
As well as the unveiling of the new TF108, top management from Toyota Motor Corporation and Panasonic Toyota Racing will be joined by race drivers Timo Glock and Jarno Trulli and third driver Kamui Kobayashi on stage to discuss the 2008 season.

for more information, please visit our website :http://www.toyota-f1.com