MELBOURNE, March 14, 2008 (AFP) - Former race winner Giancarlo Fisichella has given the new Force India team hope of a midfield finish in their debut Formula One race in Sunday´s Australian Grand Prix.

Fisichella, a veteran of 194 GP races, finished with the ninth-fastest time in the second afternoon practice session on Friday, as Force India took to the Albert Park street circuit for the first time.

The Italian racer clocked one minute 28.469 seconds in the afternoon session after a 12th best of 1:29.230 in the morning hit-out.

Ferrari´s world champion Kimi Raikkonen posted the day´s best time of 1:26.461 in the morning.

Force India, a repackaged version of the Ferrari-powered former Spyker team, are India´s first-ever Formula One team.

Fisichella, who won the 2005 Australian GP in a Renault among his three GP victories since 1996, said he was encouraged by his new team´s showing in sweltering heat.

"It was a good challenge today and it looks quite promising," he said.

"We made a big step forward over the winter and with the new development parts we have here, we are not looking too bad.

"I know we still have a lot of work to do and it is going to be tough, but it´s a good start."

His German teammate Adrian Sutil struck hydraulic problems in the morning session and his best time of 1:29.161 only ranked him 17th in the afternoon session.

Mike Gascoyne, the team´s chief technical officer, said it had been a good start to F1 for Force India.

"It confirms the step forward we have made relative to the competition over the winter, and we now have to carry that forward through qualifying and into the race," he said.

Qualifying to determine race grid positions will be take place on Saturday.