AUGUST 10, 2001
Mika wants Toyota to be quicker
MIKA SALO, the former Tyrrell, BAR and Ferrari driver leading the way into Formula 1 for Toyota has expressed dissatisfaction with the 2001 test program's progress to date.
The 34-year-old Finn, who last raced with Sauber in 2000, has been testing the development chassis and engine for five months and, having been over 10 seconds off the pace of last month's British Grand Prix at Silverstone in this week's exclusive test said: "At the moment little things are taking too long."
The Toyota test was cut from three days to two after power steering glitches made the car unrepresentative, and it is now being fixed for another attempt at a three-day run at Spa next week and Salo is hoping for a more productive time.
"It's not just on the car, but with the team," he said. "I am 100 percent sure that the engine is great, but we have to improve a lot in other areas. The team just want to be in the race, but I want to do well when I am going racing."