Trulli in optimistic mood for Spain

The Japanese squad have failed to show the kind of pace needed to fight near the front, but Trulli, who finished seventh in Bahrain over three weeks ago, reckons the team will arrive in Spain in better shape thanks to a successful test in Barcelona last week.

"I had a great race in Bahrain to finish seventh so I am going to the Spanish Grand Prix in a good mood," said Trulli in a team preview. "It was a difficult race for me but I was very pleased with my performance.

"However, we saw in Bahrain that we need to work on a few things if we are to compete with the fastest cars.

"We will have an updated car for this race and in testing that seemed to be a good step forward. Obviously everyone else is likely to have improvements on the car but I hope we can make a performance gain.

"We tested at Barcelona last week and that should help us when it comes to finding a set-up, especially now the layout has changed. My most recent podium finish was in Spain two years ago - I don't know if we can repeat that result but I am certainly hoping for more points."

Toyota will have a significant aerodynamic upgrade for the Spanish race, including a new engine cover, a new floor and new a rear crash structure.

Trulli's teammate Ralf Schumacher has also been encouraged by the the latest improvements.

"Bahrain was disappointing for me but we had a productive test in Barcelona last week so I am expecting a better result at this race," said Schumacher.

"We all know the Circuit de Catalunya very well from testing but this will be the first time we have raced on the new layout after the chicane was added to replace the penultimate corner. It is certainly better from a safety point of view but it has made it quite tricky to drive.

"We have made some aerodynamic changes to our car since the last race and, after a positive test at Barcelona, I am confident we will see an improvement in our performance this weekend.

"We will have to wait and see how much we have moved forward but my goal is to get back among the points after two disappointing races."