paul
Team Owner
http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines02/0.../09/s10469.html
The past week has been a busy one for the Toyota team. A productive Belgian Grand Prix followed the unexpected announcement that they are to drop both Mika Salo and Allan McNish for 2003.
BAR's Olivier Panis and another, as yet unnamed, driver will be taking over. In an interview at Spa, team boss Ove Andersson spoke about the events of past few days and the future for Toyota.
Q: One of the most stressful weeks you have ever had?
Ove Andersson: Well, I think it was stressful, but not the only (stressful) one, I don't think.
Q: How comfortable are you with the outcome?
OA: The answer to that you will only get next year, obviously.
Q: Why Olivier Panis?
OA: I think he is a good driver, and his technical feedback is good. He is a nice person too. I believe that, or I hope that, he has knowledge from the teams (he has worked for) and I think he has great interest in the technical side of the things. I hope he can help us. This is the reason basically.
If you are looking at the driver performance, I am sure Mika (Salo) is as good, if not better. However, it is a different aspect we are trying to do.
Q: So are you thinking of finding a second driver who will compliment Panis's knowledge? Is that what you have in mind for his team mate?
OA: Yes, but this is not decided yet. I think we should be able to make that decision before the end of September.
Q: Breaking driver continuity does have a fundamental effect on the team. Are you not concerned?
OA: I think you can look at it in different ways. From one point of view there is new blood. Maybe the expression 'new blood' is not the right one, but more a new factor in the team and this can also help the motivation.
Something has changed and as a part of human nature we always get excited when we get something new. It is an unknown factor which we get excited about.
Q: You were the one who brought Mika (Salo) back into Formula One™ racing. Do you feel responsible in a way that Mika had to go?
OA: Look, you have to understand that it was not my decision alone. Secondly, it was pretty tough to take this decision. I know how it feels to be in this kind of situation. I was a driver myself and it happened to me in a very similar way. It is difficult to digest for a driver. It is not nice. Definitely it is not a nice situation for him and also for me. It was not an easy thing to do.
Q: It all seemed to happen rather quickly...
OA: The announcement was quite abrupt. The awareness of what was happening was there for quite some time though.
Q: Apart from the drivers, have you thought about the rest of the team structure around them?
OA: This is the first year we are racing in F1™. At the end of last year we set up our team basically from the experience of the test team.
Now we have to evaluate what has happened this year to see where we did well and where we did badly. Also where the car has plus points and where it has negative points. I think it is necessary now to look at where we can improve for next year.
We are in the middle of this procedure at the moment. I think the whole team will be looked at, and also the key team members. There will be quite a few more changes to be seen before next year.
Q: Did you realise the significance of the fact that by signing Panis you have kept the only French driver in Formula One racing?
OA: Yes, sure, we know that. We are aware of that.
The past week has been a busy one for the Toyota team. A productive Belgian Grand Prix followed the unexpected announcement that they are to drop both Mika Salo and Allan McNish for 2003.
BAR's Olivier Panis and another, as yet unnamed, driver will be taking over. In an interview at Spa, team boss Ove Andersson spoke about the events of past few days and the future for Toyota.
Q: One of the most stressful weeks you have ever had?
Ove Andersson: Well, I think it was stressful, but not the only (stressful) one, I don't think.
Q: How comfortable are you with the outcome?
OA: The answer to that you will only get next year, obviously.
Q: Why Olivier Panis?
OA: I think he is a good driver, and his technical feedback is good. He is a nice person too. I believe that, or I hope that, he has knowledge from the teams (he has worked for) and I think he has great interest in the technical side of the things. I hope he can help us. This is the reason basically.
If you are looking at the driver performance, I am sure Mika (Salo) is as good, if not better. However, it is a different aspect we are trying to do.
Q: So are you thinking of finding a second driver who will compliment Panis's knowledge? Is that what you have in mind for his team mate?
OA: Yes, but this is not decided yet. I think we should be able to make that decision before the end of September.
Q: Breaking driver continuity does have a fundamental effect on the team. Are you not concerned?
OA: I think you can look at it in different ways. From one point of view there is new blood. Maybe the expression 'new blood' is not the right one, but more a new factor in the team and this can also help the motivation.
Something has changed and as a part of human nature we always get excited when we get something new. It is an unknown factor which we get excited about.
Q: You were the one who brought Mika (Salo) back into Formula One™ racing. Do you feel responsible in a way that Mika had to go?
OA: Look, you have to understand that it was not my decision alone. Secondly, it was pretty tough to take this decision. I know how it feels to be in this kind of situation. I was a driver myself and it happened to me in a very similar way. It is difficult to digest for a driver. It is not nice. Definitely it is not a nice situation for him and also for me. It was not an easy thing to do.
Q: It all seemed to happen rather quickly...
OA: The announcement was quite abrupt. The awareness of what was happening was there for quite some time though.
Q: Apart from the drivers, have you thought about the rest of the team structure around them?
OA: This is the first year we are racing in F1™. At the end of last year we set up our team basically from the experience of the test team.
Now we have to evaluate what has happened this year to see where we did well and where we did badly. Also where the car has plus points and where it has negative points. I think it is necessary now to look at where we can improve for next year.
We are in the middle of this procedure at the moment. I think the whole team will be looked at, and also the key team members. There will be quite a few more changes to be seen before next year.
Q: Did you realise the significance of the fact that by signing Panis you have kept the only French driver in Formula One racing?
OA: Yes, sure, we know that. We are aware of that.