Timo Glock was happy to add to his points tally at the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix, but admits that
Toyota needs to hit back at
Renault - and quickly - if it is to remain in contention for 'best of the rest' honours in the constructors' race.
The German finished fourth on the streets of the city state to partly offset
Fernando Alonso's full house, but Toyota trails the
regie by five points heading into its 'home' race at Fuji Speedway this weekend.
Glock might have contested the Japanese Grand Prix before - it was among the four races he did with Jordan back in 2004 - but he has yet to sample Fuji, which returned to the schedule in 2007, when the German was otherwise engaged. Although his knowledge is therefore limited, he already knows what he is hoping to find this weekend.
"I have driven in the Japanese Grand Prix before, but that was at Suzuka," he confirmed, "Last year, I missed the race as it clashed with the final GP2 races of the season, when I won the title in Valencia, but obviously I have already studied the layout at Fuji and have driven the track on a computer game, although that is not really the same thing as seeing it in real life. It looks like an interesting track and my first impression is that it has a massive straight...
"Having not driven the track before, it's hard to make predictions, but we have been strong at most races this season and we are very motivated to be competitive again. Singapore was a bit too bumpy for our car, so we could not show our true potential, but I don't expect the same problem at Fuji - although from what I have heard the weather can be an issue there.
"However, I enjoy driving in the rain and believe it is one of my strong points, so I don't mind what the weather does. I am looking forward to it, especially as I am a Toyota driver and I'm sure we will get a lot of support."
With Alonso leading a rejuvenated Renault team, the battle for fourth place in the constructors' championship is likely to see-saw back and forth over the coming races, and Glock admits that Toyota needs to get a good haul this weekend.
