Lotus substitute driver Jerome d'Ambrosio admitted he had hoped for better after qualifying 16th for the Italian Grand Prix.
D'Ambrosio was six tenths off team-mate Kimi Raikkonen's pace in Q2 at Monza. Although he acknowledged that getting up to speed immediately was always going to be tough, d'Ambrosio said he had still harboured ambitions of getting closer to Raikkonen.
Asked whether he was satisfied so far, d'Ambrosio replied: "I have mixed feelings really. There were some bits where we are giving time.I think I haven't been able to put all the details together, but with the amount of time I've had in the car and the experience I have, I guess it's normal. But still you hope you're going to so a little bit better.
"If I could have been about four tenths from Kimi I'd be satisfied with that and I'd be further up. But still I think it's a good weekend. There are plenty of things for me to learn. It's not bad, but I was hoping for a little bit more and I hope for a better race."
The Belgian, who is standing in for the suspended Romain Grosjean, has set his sights on a points finish.
"I think it's important for me to aim to finish the race tomorrow," d'Ambrosio said. "I think I'd be happy with my weekend if I can get a point tomorrow."
With Raikkonen only eighth on the grid, Lotus is in less competitive shape at Monza than for several races.
"We're not that competitive this weekend, not as much as we could have been in previous races," d'Ambrosio acknowledged. "But it's like that. I try to focus to get the most out of the car I'm given and that's it. It's still a great car to be in and a great team to be in.
"You can't have a season where you're always the best, and the important thing is to score points when you're not the best."