Q&A: Norbert Kreyer.

After a season of ups and downs, Toyota engine supremo Norbert Kreyer talks about the team's rookie year in Formula One, his 'fantastic' engine and his hopes for 2003, when the Cologne-based squad will feature two new faces in the cockpit...

Q:
What were the aims and expectations for the 2002 season, and were they realised?
Norbert Kreyer:
I think that when we started the season our aims from the engine side were that we wanted to finish the races in order to learn tracks and gather data for the 2003 season. That was our priority. If we reached points-scoring positions then we would have been happy. Of course we managed to get two points early in the year, but then we had a mid-season dip before coming back in Spa and Monza and could have scored more points. Unfortunately, that didn't happen, but still we have exceeded our expectations, and we are quite pleased. Perhaps there has been too much fluctuation in our performance, but it is all part of the learning cycle.
Q:
What, for you, were the high and low points of the season?
NK:
The high point was for sure when we got the points in Australia and Brazil. That was a really unexpected result. From the engine side the low point has to be have been the race in Magny-Cours, when we lost both engines. That took us a bit by surprise. It is not a nice memory of 2002 for me.
Q:
What were the main challenges faced?
NK:
I would have to say that Magny-Cours was the worst case, when we lost the two engines in the race. Otherwise we have been quite happy in the engine department for our first season. The reason for the failures in France was quite clear. The problem was fixed quickly in all engines between Magny-Cours and Hockenheim. The last four races from Spa through to Suzuka were quite good for the engines and we showed strong performance in Spa and Monza.
Q:
How did the team evolve over the course of the season?
NK:
The whole team has improved a lot - not only the race team at the track, but also the people back in Cologne. In the first races we were youngsters and we had to gain experience and learn about F1. It was understandable that we made some mistakes early on but then we made big improvements during the course of the season, especially with the pit stops.
Q:
Have you been satisfied with the performance of the TF102/RVX-02?
NK:
The idea and target for the 2002 season was to produce reliable RVX-02 engines to gain track data ahead of the 2003 season, so we can be very happy from the results we have got. Maybe we had some doubt whether to use qualifying engines or not and in the end we didn't use a qualifying engine, but next season we will.
Q:
What improvements need to be made for 2003?
NK:
From the weight side, the RVX-03 will be much lighter and with a lower centre of gravity. In the end we will also have an increase in power. We have already put a lot of kilometres on the RVX-03, which gives us lots of good information as we go into the winter. It has been very important for us to get the engine onto the track because it's that much more effective than on the dyno because you can only really test driveability on the track.
Q:
Forecast for 2003?
NK:
I think we have to be realistic. Next season will be even more difficult than this year. All the other team will be making big steps forward and improvements as well, so we have to expect to have a big challenge on our hands next year also. It'll be hard, but we'll be aiming for points in as many races as possible and that will be the maximum we can hope for next year.