| As the current Formula 1 season unfolds,
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| | a lot changed at the race and in terms of
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| Toyota has set its eye to overtake BMW
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| | performance with one car we were another
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| and become the third fastest team. The
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| | step closer to the top, even compared to
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| team is currently competing in a tight
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| | Malaysia. With Ralf (Schumacher) we were
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| race against teams such as Renault, Red
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| | not as quick as we would have liked and
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| Bull, and Williams. Team President John
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| | we clearly have to review some of the
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| Howett is confident that his team has
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| | set-up guidelines. At some places, such
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| what it takes to pull away from the said
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| | as Bahrain, some of those recent
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| teams and compete with the German team.
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| | guidelines are simply not working."
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| The announcement came as the Barcelona
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| | Currently, Jarno Trulli, one of Toyota's
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| Grand Prix approaches. To date, the team
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| | drivers, is number eight on the driver's
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| has had considerable successes but needs
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| | championship with four points to his
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| podium finishes to become a strong
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| | credit. Ralf Schumacher, another Toyota
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| contender to BMW. Howett maintained that
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| | driver, sits at the eleventh spot with a
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| their goal for the season is to continue
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| | single point to his credit. As a team,
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| what they have been doing in order to
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| | Toyota sits on fifth with five points to
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| maintain their current standing as one of
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| | their credit as the team they are trying
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| the top teams in the second group. He
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| | to overtake; BMW Sauber is occupying the
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| also pointed out that they have to be
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| | third spot. Currently leading the field
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| able to prevent slipping down the
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| | in the constructor's championship is the
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| rankings. Howett said that the team has
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| | team of McLaren-Mercedes with 44 points.
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| gone a long distance since they have
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| | Ferrari sits at second with 39 points.
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| joined the F1 melee. "It's clear from
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| | BMW Sauber has 18 points and Renault sits
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| last year that we can make major
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| | at fourth with nine points. Aside from
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| improvements in performance over a season
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| | these five teams, the only other team to
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| after we moved from a pretty slow start
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| | have gained points for the season is
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| to a competitive position at the end of
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| | Williams-Toyota with two points and is
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| the year," he said. Howett expressed his
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| | currently owning the sixth place. The
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| confidence on his team to perform well
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| | next race this season will be in
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| for the remainder of the season although
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| | Barcelona and that race will show if
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| he maintained that they will be up
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| | Toyota can be a strong contender for BMW
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| against some strong teams. "We are
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| | Sauber which fields cars with high
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| intending to do exactly the same this
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| | performance that one can see in a BMW car
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| year but we are acutely aware there are
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| | equipped with high performance engines
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| another four, five or six teams out there
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| | and reliable auto parts such as BMW
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| trying to do exactly the same," said
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| | alternators, starting motor, spark plugs,
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| Howett. "It is a motivating challenge for
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| | and the like. Vasselon explained what
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| the people here to do it again and to
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| | their team will do as they go to
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| show we are an emerging and serious
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| | Barcelona for the next race. "Having
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| challenger on the F1 grid," he added
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| | time after the first race gave us the
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| further. Meanwhile, Toyota's Senior
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| | opportunity to prepare quite a large
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| General Manager Pascal Vasselon talks
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| | aerodynamic upgrade. We will come to
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| about his expectations for the team at
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| | Barcelona with a new engine cover, a new
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| the upcoming Barcelona Grand Prix.
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| | floor and new rear crash area. It was
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| Vasselon also reflected on team Toyota's
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| | quite a lot of work and we went through
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| accomplishment at the Bahrain Grand Prix.
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| | another homologation of the rear crash
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| He explained how the race has gone for
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| | site," says Vasselon. "Barcelona for us
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| the team. "On the one hand it was a
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| | does correspond to a significant upgrade
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| better race for us than expected," he
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| | of our aero package," he added further.
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| says. "People may remember that in
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| | As far as challenging BMW for the third
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| Bahrain testing we were not looking so
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| | spot, Vasselon has this to say: "There
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| good. In fact there were some obvious
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| | is a trend developing for us. We have
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| explanations, the first one being that we
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| | been progressing in terms of qualifying
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| had quite a few small reliability issues
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| | speed for the first three races and in
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| that just prevented us from running. When
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| | Bahrain we were clearly the fourth
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| you don't get a lot of mileage you end up
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| | fastest team with Jarno. In the second
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| in a vicious circle - you don't develop
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| | qualifying session, when all cars were in
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| the car, you don't evolve a set-up and so
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| | optimum low fuel configuration, Jarno was
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| it goes on." He also compared the
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| | seventh quickest and with a 0.4s gap to
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| Bahrain race to the Malaysian Grand Prix
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| | Williams, which was comfortable. The next
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| saying: "One consequence was that we
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| | target is to catch BMW Sauber. Ferrari
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| were unable to run low levels of
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| | and McLaren is another step again, but we
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| downforce. From that point of view quite
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| | like a challenge!
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