Trulli expects tough April for Toyota

Toyota struggled badly at the opening race of the season in Bahrain and, although things looked better in Malaysia, the Japaneses squad were still off the pace of the top teams.

Trulli's teammate Ralf Schumacher scored Toyota's first point of the season with eighth place in Sepang, but the result was far from what the team were targetting when they launched their car in December.

Toyota are working hard at the Paul Ricard circuit this week, in order to understand and try to solve their problems for the Australian and San Marino Grands Prix next month.

But Trulli believes the solution may not come until a later date.

"We are trying to understand what is going on with the set-up and we are doing the evaluation for Melbourne," Trulli told autosport.com during testing at Paul Ricard.

"From what we have seen, we need to go for a softer set-up, and softer compounds, and more pressure on the tyres. We have so far tried many options and found some directions.

"It will not be easy for us in Melbourne and also in Imola, but we are taking a step at a time."

Trulli, who claimed Toyota's first Formula One podium in Malaysia last year, finished in ninth place at the Sepang race, having struggled with his car after damaging the rear diffuser.

"In Malaysia, when we were in ambient temperature, I could not find the right set-up either," he said. "As we had to try out so many different set-ups, there was no time for me to find the right one, but we had a good enough strategy for the race. It was a shame.

"I did not know what was going on at first, as there was oversteer everywhere and the team did not say anything and only when I passed the pits they told me I had broken the rear end. Then the funny thing was for the last five laps when I had given up the car started working, because I was not pushing any more.

"The team explained to me later why it was and now I know. Basically I had to brake earlier, gentle in coming out of corners, not pushing in general, that way the balance was not going forward, before the entire balance went to the front and the rear was so loose.

"There is still a question mark over Melbourne and Imola but we are working on it, we have a tyre programme this afternoon, and let's see."