Drivers still unsure about Toyota form

The Japanese squad failed to shine during winter testing and arrive in Melbourne not knowing what their true form really is.

Trulli posted the 12th fastest time in Friday's practice, and although he enjoyed a trouble-free day, he reckons it's still too early to judge his team's pace.

"There was not much grip out there in the morning but the afternoon session was trouble-free. So that was a positive day and I'm looking forward to tomorrow," said Trulli.

"We have had a hard winter of testing but as the weekend progresses we will build up a clearer picture of where we stand.

"The new rules for Friday practice are much better for the drivers and for the teams but especially for the spectators who can finally see the cars running, which is what matters most."

German teammate Ralf Schumacher echoed Trulli's comments after finishing down in 16th position.

"It's always difficult to say where you stand on Friday but that was a decent afternoon of work," he said. "Other than the break for the red flag we didn't have any problems and we worked through our programme.

"The conditions were variable but that was not such a problem as a little drizzle doesn't affect the performance.

"The weather should now get better through the weekend but it will stay on our mind because we all know it can completely change within an hour in Melbourne. We've had a mixed winter of testing so this weekend will be useful to find out exactly where we have to target our work."