We need it cooler, says Trulli

Trulli proved that the TF104B can shine over single laps when he qualified just a few hundredths of a second slower than former Renault team-mate Fernando Alonso - but he remains concerned about the Toyota's pace over long race runs. His experience in Japan, when a sixth placed grid slot evaporated in the race thanks to dramatic tyre drop off, gives him every reason to be cautious.

"I am extremely happy with our performance in qualifying," said Trulli, who qualified 10th but will start ninth because of Michael Schumacher's 10-place grid penalty. "It was a very good lap and the car was well balanced. I believe that I pushed the car to the absolute limit, which makes me particularly satisfied.

"I am also quite confident for the race because we have been consistent over the long runs in the practice sessions. We have to wait and see what weather conditions we will have in tomorrow's race because slightly hotter temperatures could affect us. That aside, we should be encouraged by this result, especially considering the greatly reduced gap we have to the front running teams."

Toyota is locked in a fight with Jaguar for seventh place in the constructors' championship and technical director Mike Gascoyne is cautiously optimistic for Sunday's race.

He said: "Given the consistency and pace we have had over the long runs this weekend, we should expect to have a relatively strong race. We need to look to score points tomorrow to improve our position in the championship and I firmly believe that we should be able to do just that."