Kubica says handling cost him time

The Pole, who had finished final practice on top and was aiming for a podium finish on Sunday, had to settle for eighth on the grid after suffering from oversteer during the grid-deciding session.

He admitted starting from the dirty side of the grid will be a big disadvantage.

"The car had more oversteer than during free practice and I wasn't completely comfortable," said Kubica. "If we had got everything perfect, we could probably have been a couple of tenths quicker, but we're right on the limit here.

"Unfortunately, starting eighth also means that I will start from the dirty side of the grid. This morning, in the dry, there was a huge difference between the two sides, but if it rains tomorrow perhaps it won't be such a disadvantage.

"It's not going to be an easy race, because everybody is very close together in terms of performance, but I will try to do my best tomorrow afternoon."

Team-mate Vitaly Petrov, serving a five-place grid penalty for his accident at Suzuka, qualified down in 15th, which means he will start the race close to the bottom of the grid.

"I was hoping to get into the top 10 today, to minimise the effect of the grid penalty, and it looked reasonable after Q1," he said. "During the second part of qualifying, I made a mistake by pushing too hard, touched the kerb and spun.

"The tyres were then so dirty that I couldn't set a proper competitive lap time afterwards. It's a pity, but I must now focus on the race, and take every opportunity that comes to me."