Ralf ‘annoyed’?

Toyota's Mike Gascoyne has downplayed fears that the Cologne-based grand prix team could fall off the pace at Imola. ''I don't see why,'' he said in an interview. Previously, Toyota – with a new diffuser, front wing and sidepods for Imola – has struggled to get its F1 car to effectively ride the Italian circuit's infamous curbs. But Gascoyne dismissed the 'issue.' ''When your car is off the pace,'' he explained, ''you tend to use the curbs to compensate.''

Mike also denied that podium-getter Jarno Trulli has an 'edge' on teammate Ralf Schumacher. ''In many ways,'' Gascoyne tempered, ''Ralf's drive in Bahrain was stronger than Jarno's. ''Ralf is not annoyed … because he can see the potential. He's not worried.''