Trulli 'full of hope' for 2009 season

The Japanese squad, in grand prix racing since the 2002 season, has shone during winter testing this year, with Trulli claiming the TF109 is the best Toyota he has ever driven.

The Cologne-based squad is yet to win a race in 122 starts, but Trulli is adamant that things are looking better than ever as the start of the season gets nearer.

"I am confident for this season because so far testing has gone very well," Trulli told the official Formula 1 website. "I believe the car is going to be very competitive and so far everything is looking good.

"This car feels better than any other Toyota I have driven in pre-season so I am full of hope.

"I certainly hope we can achieve great things this year and so far it's all looking good in testing. We are definitely optimistic. We try to improve our performance year by year and I believe we are established as a good team which has improved a lot.

"After the strong results of the last year our goal is to fight for top positions this year and my dream is to give Toyota the first win."

He added: "I want to fight to win the first Grand Prix for Toyota and I really hope I can do that this season. As well as that, we want to build on last season's strong performance by finishing on the podium and scoring good points more often."

With Toyota admitting its presence in the sport was in doubt due to the world's economic situation, there will be pressure on the team to achieve its first victory this year.

"That's not for me to comment on, but it is obvious Toyota is in Formula One to win," said Trulli. "I believe the team has got enough experience, the right people and everything, so we want to deliver.

"For me and Timo (Glock) it will be an important season because both of us want to win as much as each other and we want to deliver the results. We are all working together in the same direction and I am optimistic we can have a strong season."