Toro Rosso rookie Sebastian Vettel is happy to have got his hands on the latest STR3 chassis as he targets more guant-killing performances.

Sebastian Vettel has admitted that it feels good to have put a dismal start to his first full Formula One season behind him, but insists that, despite having a more potent weapon at his disposal, he does not expect to repeat his point-scoring opportunities that often.

The German kicked off the 2008 campaign, in which he became a permanent fixture on the grid with Scuderia Toro Rosso, with three first lap exits in four races but, since the introduction of the new STR3 chassis, things have looked up, with points at both the Monaco and Canadian grands prix.

"I think it is a very good step forward," Vettel told ITV-F1 of the new car, whose introduction was delayed by a round after team-mate Sebastien Bourdais crashed it in testing, "I think the decision to start with the old car was correct, [but] the [STR3] simply has much more downforce and it's working more efficiently, and I think that's the way to go.

"In the beginning, it was pretty bad - when you have four races and you always have first-lap collisions and never see the chequered flag, you can't be happy. But sh*t happens and you just have to focus on the next race, which is what we did. Things seem to be going up since we introduced the new car."

Despite being buoyed by his results in Monaco and Montreal, however, Vettel is aware that the STR3 isn't suddenly going to transform Toro Rosso into a regular point-scorer.

"It's always difficult to catch up, otherwise there would be no reason why Toyota has been struggling for however many years they have been in F1," he reasoned, "They have the same budget as the top teams, but they are struggling to have the same pace. So, obviously, it's not only a question of money. In F1, I think it is very, very difficult and there are so many aspects that you have to get right.

"Obviously, it's bloody difficult for us, where we are now, to win a normal race. Our target is always the same - we try to do the best possible job, whether it's testing or racing, try to qualify as high up as possible and then do a race with no mistakes and at 100 per cent of our abilities, which will put us in a position [dictated by] the car's pace.

"When something funny happens at the front then you have to be there, like in Monaco and Montreal, but these circumstances don't happen at every race. The majority will be as boring as Magny-Cours was, for instance. But still, we finished twelfth there, ahead of Williams and Honda, so we can be very proud of that result."

While Magny-Cours provided a comedown for Vettel, he is more confident for the coming races at Silverstone and Hockenheim, despite not having raced at either in F1 before.

"I think [Silverstone is] a nice circuit, [although] it's very bumpy and very difficult because you haven't got any reference points as it's very flat," he reflected after last week's group test, "I think, when they put the marker boards up for the race, it might be easier but, at the moment, there is nothing, just an arrow indicating whether it's a left-hand corner or right-hand corner. I like the track so far though, especially the first sector where you have the fast corners.

"Magny-Cours also has a lot of quick corners and we were quite competitive compared to where we had been before, so I am quite confident for Silverstone. It should suit our car."