Trulli laments 'difficult' day

The Italian driver, who has been upbeat about his Toyota team's progress during the winter, said he was unable to find the right balance in the TF108, also having tyre graining problems.

Trulli, however, is still confident about his chances and is hopeful of a better day tomorrow.

"That was a difficult day because we have been trying to balance the car while fighting a bit with tyre graining," said Trulli. "We tried some things to improve it but I'm not satisfied with the balance yet. I ended up in the gravel because I touched the grass near the end of the second session.

"Now I just hope we can have a better day tomorrow. We've made some good progress over the winter time and the testing we have done in Europe has been positive. The car seems more competitive, especially in race conditions, so I'm optimistic heading into the first Grand Prix of the season."

Teammate Timo Glock, in his first visit to the Albert Park circuit, finished in tenth position, just three tenths off Trulli.

"This was my first day of running here in Australia and my first free practice session for Toyota so it was completely different to what I'm used to in GP2 and testing," he said. "So it was an unusual situation but overall it felt okay. It is still difficult for me in terms of getting the car right for my driving style.

"But we are continuously improving and today felt better than the last test so I can start to get a better feeling for the car. The last run wasn't too bad but I think everyone will be complaining about graining and it is the same for us."