TOYOTA ADD GLOCK TO THEIR ARSENAL

Toyota have confirmed that Timo Glock, current GP2 champion will drive for them next season. He replaces Ralf Schumacher as the team's resident German pilot. There is no doubting Glock's ability to race an F1 car with his BMW testing experience and previous race experience with Jordan. What is a concern is whether Toyota will finally stabilise themselves and start aiming their sights at the opposition rather than themselves and build a car suitable for Glock.

The test at Jerez between the 4th and 6th of December will hopefully give encouraging signs of Toyota's move up the performance ladder but in the meantime here is a quick profile of GP2's latest graduate:

Glock is a charming, humorous 25-year-old German from near Frankfurt. Away from the madding crowd of a race weekend he likes to meet up with his friends at home for drinks at the Nacht café. Glock and his friends also visit the local kart track. This is part of his need to practice as well as have fun, as he cannot totally distance his life from racing. There is the fitness work that is crucial to a modern race driver’s competitive ability, the workouts and bike riding. In this sense motor sport is like football in that twenty to thirty years ago fitness was less highly managed than today.

The German likes Nicolas Cage films and finds Tim Allen amusing-when he has time to watch them that is. He also mentioned he liked John Travolta’s films before going on to say one of his favourite films was Wild Hogs, starring both Allen and Travolta. How much that has to do with the motorbikes he didn’t say although there were a few chuckles as he tried to recall the title, which was released as Born to be Wild in Germany. The episode was one of several where the atmosphere of bonhomie around Glock was generated. Another occurred as he tried to explain his favourite drink. At this point his relationship with his teammate also came across as that of relaxed partners. Timo asked Andreas Zuber how best to describe his choice in English. A brief consideration before the answer came; “Apple juice with soda.” Like most of the drivers in the GP2 paddock Timo Glock is a big fan of pasta, which he might partner with white wine in the evening.

Apart from his friends, his family and his manager of seven years are important to him and he likes to play tennis as well as go karting. His favourite tennis players to watch are Roger Federer because he is clever and Rafael Nadal because he is impressive and aggressive. Timo is a keen sports fan that watches football with his favourite team being a local choice, Frankfurt. He enjoys basketball, supporting the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA who have a German player in their midst, Dirk Nowitzki. Timo also follows his own branch of sport, particularly NASCAR. His childhood racing heroes were Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher; he says, “Both were special, successful and bloody quick. Both made it to F1 the hard way without money, Michael especially.”

An impish grin and an answer that will resonate with school leavers around the world followed when giving his favourite childhood memory, “When I left school.” His favourite music depends, at home whatever is on the radio, MTV, “hip-hop to house” but again Timo could not help but refer to his career. Before a race he listens to some rock, like AC/DC. Talking of races, he thinks race one of Magny-Cours 2007 was one of his strangest while Hockenheim is special to him due to the good races he has there. He still remembers the GP2 race last year when he overtook Jose Maria Lopez on the last lap to win. If Hockenheim is one of his charmed tracks, the German may not miss Magny-Cours after his 2007 weekend. Certainly he doesn’t rate the hotels placing the Première Classe as the worst hotel in the world he has visited. Again, a pause, a chuckle and a half musing, half concerned “Can I say?” There was less hesitation on the best: - the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi.