Completing a deal they have been chasing since their entered Formula to host the Japanese Grand Prix, Toyota are looking forward to having an upper hand next season, even if both
Ralf Schumacher and
Jarno Trulli admit they are personally sad to see Suzuka off the calendar.
Indeed, Schumacher is particularly upset to be leaving Suzuka as he classes it as his favourite circuit, while he also has a strong record there, including last year when he took pole position and claimed a second place result in 2004.
"It is now over ten years since I first drove a car around Suzuka. During my year racing in the Japanese F3000 championship I grew to learn the circuit very well and it is still my favourite track on the calendar.
“It has every type of corner and makes for an excellent driving challenge. There are many important sections on the track, notably the first sector up to and including the famous Esses. Of course I will be sad to see Suzuka go from the calendar, but I'm also looking forward to racing at
Toyota's home track at Fuji next season.”
Japan is very special to Trulli too as it was here that he made his debut for Toyota in 2004 and after a disappointing outing in China where both drivers struggled in a wet qualifying and the damp race on the way to an eventual double retirement, he is eager to put on a good show for his fans.
"The Japanese Grand Prix is obviously a very important event for everyone involved with Toyota because it is our home race and we will have so many people cheering us on. The Japanese fans are passionate about
F1 and they give you huge support - especially if you're driving for a home team. Japan is very different from Europe but I get on well with the Japanese and I have many Japanese friends dating back as far as my days in karting.
“I also have a big fan club in Japan and I look forward to meeting many of my fans this week. This will actually be my third Japanese Grand Prix as a Toyota driver because I made my debut for the team at Suzuka in 2004.
