Jarno Trulli was not the most consistent Formula One driver but he was certainly capable of producing some world-beating performances in a Grand Prix car. With the popular Italian bowing out of the sport, here is a look at some of Trulli’s greatest drives.
Austria 1997
Jarno Trulli marked himself as a man of the future in just his sixth race with the Prost team in 1997. Trulli qualified a stunning third, overtook Jacques Villeneuve at the first corner, and commandingly led the first 37 laps with a string of consistently fast times. An engine failure prevented Jarno from reaching the podium but a star was born.
Europe 1999
The 1999 European Grand Prix at the Nurburgring was simply a case for survival (the driver who started 14th won after a series of rain showers) but Trulli’s second place became a well deserved hard fought position in the closing stages. Over the final five laps Jarno held off the much faster Stewart of Rubens Barrichello with a stunning display of defensive driving. It was Trulli’s first podium finish.
Monaco 2000
Jarno Trulli’s first realistic chance of victory came in the 2000 Monaco Grand Prix. He brilliantly qualified on the front row and was running ahead of eventual winner – David Coulthard – when his gearbox gave way. Had Trulli’s car made the distance, and had he been able to hold off DC during the pitstops, he would have earned a sensational race victory.
Germany 2000
Another strong podium went begging at Hockenheim when Trulli was erroneously given a ten second stop go penalty for overtaking under yellow flags. Jarno served his penalty (which the FIA later admitted was given incorrectly) whilst fighting with the McLarens and eventual winner, Rubens Barrichello. Ninth place was little reward for his speed that afternoon.
Malaysia 2001
Trulli spun on lap four of the 2001 Malaysian Grand Prix, but at least he spun whilst in the lead! He had qualified strongly and inherited first place when the Ferrari’s hit trouble. Although Jarno earned the ignominious honour of taking himself out of first place, he could take solace in the fact that every other driver went off the circuit at some point during a monsoon, including the car immediately behind Trulli that followed him into the gravel. Jarno recovered to finish the race in eighth.
Italy 2002
Renault’s electronics were problematic at times in 2002 and so it proved at Monza when Trulli’s launch control system failed on the warm-up lap. Forced to start from the very back of the grid, Trulli overtook eight cars in the first eight corners and stormed through the pack to finish in fourth just five seconds off a podium. It was a mighty performance that proved Jarno was not just a strong qualifier, but a great racer as well.
USA and Japan 2003
Jarno had the raw pace to win the final two races of the 2003 season but was unable to convert his speed into results. In both cases, Trulli had dominated practice and Friday qualifying only for it to go wrong on his hot lap to set grid position. At Indianapolis Jarno crashed shortly before qualifying and was forced to run in the unfamiliar spare car. He set a time two seconds off his pace the day before and started in tenth instead of from the front row. His run to fourth place in the race was strong but a podium and a small chance of victory had been on the cards. Two weeks later in Japan Jarno’s Saturday lap was spoiled by rain that sent him to the back of the grid, and robbing of yet another fight for victory. Fernando Alonso proved the car was capable of leading, and Jarno showed that he was on top form that weekend by slicing through the field to fourth.
Spain 2004
The first five seconds of the 2004 Spanish Grand Prix made every highlights reel for the next twelve months. Trulli instantly shot from fourth place into the lead after a remarkable jump off the line and comfortably held the race lead until his first pitstop. Although Jarno’s early race heroics defined his performance in Spain, Trulli finished the job by landing on the podium ahead of Fernando Alonso in fourth.
Monaco 2004
Jarno Trulli’s finest hour. He dominated practice, qualifying, and led every lap except five on his way to victory. Jarno beat Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher (in his peak) around a true drivers circuit and cemented himself amongst the elite to have won at Monaco.
Malaysia 2005
Toyota’s first podium was also one of Trulli’s most impressive performances. Jarno finished second behind Fernando Alonso’s dominant Renault lapping very consistently at a time when no tyre changes were allowed. This wasn’t a lucky podium due to attrition, but was earned from genuine pace.
USA 2006
Jarno Trulli had a real affinity for some circuits and Indianapolis was one of them. The US Grand Prix saw another one of his great fighting drives in 2006 when technical dramas in qualifying forced him to start from the pitlane. Although a large accident at turn one removed much of Jarno’s competition, he still moved forward through the pack in an uncompetitive Toyota to finish a brilliant fourth – his best result of the year.
France 2008
Trulli’s fourth podium for Toyota was defined by his aggressive driving at the end of the race in tricky conditions. Under huge pressure from Heikki Kovalainen in a much faster McLaren, Trulli put on a rare display of robust driving to give Toyota their best result of 2008.
Australia 2009
Toyota only scored 13 podiums during their time in Formula One so the fact that Jarno managed one of them after starting from the pitlane is very impressive. Although the 2009 Australian Grand Prix was a mixed up race, Trulli still fought through the backmarkers decisively in the early stages and kept his pace up towards the end.
Bahrain 2009
Toyota had a few opportunities to win a Grand Prix but none greater than at Bahrain in 2009. Both cars qualified on the front row and, if it wasn’t for an inexplicable decision to put their drivers on the slower hard tyres in the middle of the race (as opposed to the final stint like everyone else), Toyota should have won the Grand Prix. As it was, Trulli still managed to salvage third but it could have been so much better.
Suzuka 2009
Some believe Jarno Trulli’s drive in the 2009 Japanese Grand Prix was his greatest ever performance, and if he had left Formula One with Toyota it would have been the fitting end to a great career. Trulli finished just five seconds behind the mighty Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel and gave the Japanese manufacturer a great result on home soil. If Vettel had suffered the same problems that befell his teammate that afternoon, Toyota and Jarno Trulli’s Formula One story would be very different.