Sato would end the three-day outing a strong third-quickest outright of the 23 drivers in attendance – and he knows that he has now done his best and given 'more than 100 per cent' as the Red Bull 'junior' outfit mulls over the results of the 'shoot-out' and considers its 2009 line-up.

“I really appreciate that Toro Rosso is giving me this opportunity,” he underlined. “This one-and-a-half days' testing (in Barcelona) – working with a very focussed team – was very, very enjoyable for me.

“Obviously this is the best car I have ever driven – you could easily see that from the speed. I really enjoyed driving the STR3. Toro Rosso is not one of the big teams, but they made a huge leap forward performance-wise in the second half of the season, and this test gave me a brief insight into how the team works and how it was possible for them to raise their game on such a big scale.

“Now it is up to the team to decide. I am extremely excited with the test and hopefully I can find a way back into Formula 1 in '09. If I told you that I'm not thinking about it all the time then it would be a lie.

“It is pressure as we all compete for an F1 cockpit, but all you can do really is to put in your best performance – maximize what you have to offer, including getting in close contact with the engineers, and simply try to get the best out of your chance. I really hope that I will see them again. There is not much more I can do.

“It is always a matter of what kind of driver a team wants. If they are looking for someone with experience and good racing speed then I have given them more than 100 per cent.

“I don't think that Toro Rosso is in any rush to make a decision, so my guess would be at the end of the year, or even at the beginning of next year. All I can do now is wait, as I have done my job already.

“I was always looking for a possibility to return to F1. If there is absolute zero chance then I have to consider other racing categories – but until that happens I don't even want to think about any Plan B.”