Brawn reckons tyres could be key

Michael Schumacher set the second fastest time in qualifying, behind the Michelin-shod McLaren of Kimi Raikkonen, but Brawn has called into question the durability of the French manufacturer's rubber over a race distance.

"The Bridgestone tyres are very consistent which means we can be optimistic for Sunday's race," said Brawn. "I think there is still room for improvement in the car, given they were not perfectly balanced on a light fuel load. The key will be to see how out rivals' tyres last over a distance. From what we saw this morning, we might have an advantage."

Despite being beaten by Raikkonen, Schumacher was happy with his time. "I did a good lap, being a bit careful in the first sector before going flat out," he said. "The time isn't bad and puts us in a good position for tomorrow afternoon's qualifying.

"We are optimistic about the rest of the weekend. Obviously if the weather in the race is similar to what we have seen in the second half of the session, we would not be disappointed!"