Trulli keeps lid on expectations

Speaking after the first round of winter testing in Spain, Trulli indicated that he was upbeat about the potential shown by the TF104B but believed there was little point in believing that he and team-mate Ralf Schumacher could make a major instant breakthrough.

"Of course, to make the biggest step to the front of the field, the team needs good management - but that's exactly what I believe Toyota has," he said. "Toyota has the mentality to make it there - even if it takes time. It has the potential, so it's just a matter of having the right people and experience.

"So far I think Mike Gascoyne has done a good job to organise a new, young team. Now they also have experienced people in the team and experienced drivers who can give a lot of input to the team. Hopefully soon we will see some good results."

The arrival of Trulli and Schumacher at Toyota has inevitably led to rapidly raised expectations at the team - especially with the 2005 car due to be the first designed from scratch by technical director Mike Gascoyne.

"In the short time that I have been a Toyota driver, I already have the impression that we are moving in the right direction, although we will not be able to confirm that until we get the new car," said Trulli. "That means there is a lot of expectation for next year, although we're being careful not to raise those expectations too high."

Trulli's cautiousness about the potential of the TF105 means that he is currently setting his sights low for next year - and that means just points-scoring outings rather than podiums and even race wins.

"I would like to aim to try and score points at as many races as possible next season. Coming from the position we are in at the moment, it would be nice to take a step closer to the top teams.

"But I'm keeping my feet on the ground because I know from experience that progress takes time. With more experience, we will be able to set much higher expectations."