As David Coulthard retired and Rubens Barrichello's future looked shaky
over the winter off-season, Jarno Trulli nearly sped onto the front row as
one of the oldest drivers in Formula One.
Ultimately, Brazilian veteran Barrichello, 37, retained his seat, and
Giancarlo Fisichella is eighteen months older than Trulli.
But as he approaches his 35th birthday, the Italian's advancing years are
triggering speculation about his future, worsened by the uncertainty about
the future of his team.
Trulli, however, insists he is not contemplating retirement.
"Racing is part of my life," he told the British tabloid Daily Express.
"If you take this away I am having trouble because the fire is too much;
it still burns."
Trulli, now with more than 200 grands prix and 13 seasons of F1 behind him,
said he doesn't plan to leave Toyota.
"I will stay on here because I have delivered the first podium and pole
position already for the team. So my next target is clear," he said.
"The day I say I want to be home or I am tired, or I don't care, that is
the time to stop.
"At the moment if there is a race when something goes wrong I still go mad
because I am not happy. I really want to succeed," he insisted.
Trulli is fifth in the 2009 drivers' championship, 6.5 points ahead of his
younger teammate Timo Glock.
