"It was a fun fight, and even better for me because I was able to keep position. It was tough, but I was determined to get a great result, especially at this race because of what happened to Ove Andersson. We wanted to pay tribute to him because he did so much for this team. It was a shame he couldn't see such a great result, but it was fantastic to dedicate my third place to him."

Asked whether the upturn in Toyota's fortunes was purely down to improvements made to the car over its 2007 predecessor, Trulli admitted that he liked to think that he was also playing a part in the team's revival. The Italian now shares seventh place in the drivers' table with Mark Webber, while Toyota lies just a point shy of fourth places in the teams' championship.

"This year, we are much more competitive," he acknowledged, "The car seems more balanced and I am able to push more because it is very drivable. Quite simply, the car is quicker than last year, and that means we are more competitive.

"We have already scored a lot more points than in 2007, which shows the improvement we have made - and that is thanks to the hard work of everyone in the team. We know we are still a little behind the fastest cars, but we have shown that, at some races, we can fight with McLaren and BMW. We want to do this more often and, to do so, we must improve the car even more.

"I am sure we are heading in the right direction and I think I am driving better than ever. I have experience and I believe I improve every year because you always learn from mistakes or from your experiences. With a competitive car, I can fight at the front, I am sure of that.

"In France, I showed how determined and hard-headed I am. I fought to the end and really enjoyed the battle - and I would love to fight like that for podium positions at every race!"