Sutil: No chance to make it into Q2

The 26-year-old believes that the team's late start to the season after having to overhaul the VJM02 comprehensively to run with Mercedes, rather than Ferrari, power means that the team has yet to unlock the full potential of its car.

"It was very close in qualifying in Australia, but to go into Q2 is not possible at this stage," said Sutil when asked by AUTOSPORT whether Q2 was the team's target.

"Maybe one position more was possible, but both Giancarlo and me did really good laps and that was what our car could deliver. There is always one or two more tenths to be found, but right now that's where we are in qualifying."

Although being able to fight for points without an attritional race on Sunday, Sutil believes that wet weather could increase his chances. Sutil was running fourth place in last year's rain-hit Monaco Grand Prix before being collected by an out-of-control Kimi Raikkonen.

"It was better for us in the past," said Sutil. "I have never tested the car in the rain so I don't know where we are, but it should be OK.

"You can always do a bit more if you like the rain and I like like the rain. I've been successful in the rain so it could be good for us."

Sutil is also unconcerned about the late start to Sunday's race, which gets underway at 5pm local time, although believes that it would be safer to start the race slightly earlier.

"It was a problem in Melbourne, especially on the exit of the last turn onto the straight," said Sutil. "It was very hard to see where you were going. but everywhere else on the circuit was OK.

"It's not a big problem. There were no accidents because of that, but it could be easier to do the race earlier. But here we should be more worried about the storm."