Toyota duo stay realistic

Toyota's new signings Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli have admitted that they will face an uphill battle to come away from the Australian Grand Prix with just some points after all but confessing that their new car is still lacking in performance.

Although the TF105 has only recently been fitted with its definitive aero package, the car has still not proved itself to be a match for the front-running Renault, McLaren and Ferrari teams - and that makes it unlikely Trulli or Schumacher will be at the sharp end of the field in Melbourne.

The one strength the new car does have, however, is that it appears to be ultra-reliable - a factor that could help it emerge from the Australian Grand Prix with some points to its name.

Trulli said: "We have done a lot of mileage during testing over the winter and I feel I am ready. The car looks reliable and we seem to be heading in the right direction. The whole team will be pushing as hard as it can and if we are lucky we can score some points in Melbourne this weekend.”

Schumacher, who has spent the weekend on promotional commitments with Toyota in Japan, is equally realistic about the situation.

"We have been testing a lot and very hard, so I think we are well prepared for the first race,"he said. "At the moment we have to expect a good, solid finish in the points. That is what we must aim for, but we will have to wait and see where we line up against the other teams. Until we hit the track, no team really knows their comparative competitiveness.”