Trulli wants Toyota's future secured

Team president John Howett revealed in Valencia last week that there was "a very strong probability" that Trulli would not be retained, and that Toyota's budget for 2010 would not be signed off until November.

The Italian, who is still keen to stay on at Toyota after five full seasons with the Japanese manufacturer, believes that it is crucial for the team to continue in F1.

"We have got a log of people working here and it is most important to keep the team alive," said Trulli when asked by AUTOSPORT whether he could afford to wait until November to have a final decision on his future.

"The truth is that the team has not got budget approval for next season, so we cannot decide on anyone - the drivers as well as the people within the team.

"The priority is to stay with Toyota, so we will see what we can do for the future. Toyota has been my family for the last few years. The most important thing is that the team continues because there are a lot of people working here with families."

The Italian, who is out of contract at the end of the season, admitted that he has had some contact with other teams. However, he believes that it is too early for any offers to be on the table.

"I have had some contacts with other teams," he said. "No-one has a solid offer for next year - or very few have. We only have a few solid teams in F1.

"On the other hand, it's a bit too early to talk about contracts because of the economic situation. I don't think there are many drivers that can talk about the future in a clear way."

The 35-year-old has been in F1 since 1997, starting 210 races, and has regularly insisted that he hopes to continue to race in the sport next year.