Mar.3 (GMM) Jarno Trulli recently topped the final group test time sheet on a qualifying run, but the Toyota driver insists that the Japanese team's 2008 pre-season has not been all smoke and mirrors.
Indeed, the Italian told Switzerland's Blick newspaper that the Cologne built TF108 is markedly better than last year's car.
"Ferrari and McLaren-Mercedes will still be at the front, but we (Toyota) will be playing behind Renault and BMW Sauber," he promised.
However, with just twelve days to go until Melbourne, the pre-season expectations even from within the seemingly back-marking Honda camp are not all negative.
In complete contrast to Trulli, Jenson Button ended the final Barcelona time sheet dead last, but he insists: "Our car is certainly not as bad as the test results suggest."