Minardi's Mark Webber is confident the team can score more top-ten results this year as they head to this weekend's Italian Grand Prix, the final European round of the 2002 season.

So far this year Minardi have seen their cars finish inside the top ten four times. Webber was fifth in Australia and eighth in France, while team mate Alex Yoong came home seventh and tenth respectively in the same races.

However, Webber has only finished once in the previous three Grands Prix, with gearbox problems plaguing his weekend at the last round at Spa. Following last week's Monza test though the team are confident they have solved the problem and the Australian is looking forward to a return to form in Italy.

"I would like to think that the last three races of the season will provide us with a chance to score another top-ten finish," said Webber. "I hope that, with the reliability problem behind us, we can pounce on a few other teams' misfortunes this weekend, as Monza is an extremely demanding circuit on engines."

Webber will at least be hoping for better luck than he experienced on his last competitive outing at Monza. In last year's International F3000 event there he was one of two drivers to stall on the grid, prompting a restart. He then crashed out at the very first corner.

Meanwhile, Yoong will also be out to prove himself at Monza, the circuit at which he made his F1™ racing debut a year ago. The Malaysian has sat out the last two rounds following his failure to qualify three times this season. While BAR tester Anthony Davidson impressed in his place, Yoong was busy working on improving his qualifying form.

"As far as we are concerned whatever the problem was is sorted and we are looking forward to doing the next three races of the season with him," said a Minardi spokesperson. "We are going to do everything we can to get Alex qualified."

This followed a number of simulated qualifying runs for Yoong at last week's Monza testing, during which he set times comparable to those of Webber.