Flavio Briatore believes things can only get better for Benetton after a troublesome start to the 2001 campaign.
Owners Renault have introduced a radical engine design for this season, but there have been early teething problems.
Renault and Benetton have been forced to test the engine in public after problems in pre-season.
Briatore said: "We knew this season would be very difficult because we started with a completely new engine.
"We did not have time to test in the winter so we test it now. We hope that sooner or later we will fix this problem.
"This is a major problem. The fact that we didn't have the engine meant we never tested the car this winter."
He added: "We will get there little by little."
Giancarlo Fisichella retired with fuel pressure failure at last weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix, while Jenson Button managed to finish the race in 11th place.