Toro Rosso duo expecting tough weekend

Both men showed a lack of pace in Friday practice, with Liuzzi finishing down in 25h and Speed right behind, both over three seconds off the pace.

Italian Liuzzi believes the team are being hindered by their restricted V10 engine.

"A difficult day on a difficult track," he said. "It was a bit damp at the start of practice and we adjusted the setup bit by bit as it dried. We concentrated on working towards the race and from what we have seen so far, I think we will have a tough time on Sunday.

"We expect to improve our performance tomorrow by trying various changes to the car. The engine restrictor does not help us with the many changes of gradient here."

Speed added: "Another new track for me. It's very tight and right now it is also very slippery. So going for a full lap without missing a braking point or sliding out off line has been very difficult.

"Of course I had heard about how bumpy this place is and the fact that it's an anti-clockwise track, but after the first two hours I'm feeling fine physically.

"In terms of car performance, it felt on the edge everywhere and although the track condition will improve it will always be tough for us as we usually struggle on this type of circuit. A difficult end to the season I think."