Ferrari still poses a threat

Michael's brother Ralf Schumacher, who took the first pole position of the season for both himself and the BMW Williams team, said: "From where we are, we have a good chance of a great race. But I think Ferrari realised the Michelin runners were very quick on the first lap and so they have changed their strategy a bit. I'm sure Michael is going to have a great race, but from where they are it could be hard to get past everyone."

Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn said: "I'm always an optimist and we've seen on the long runs what a consistent race tyre we have. In fact the tyre has been getting quicker, so I'm satisfied that we've got the right tyres for the race.

"The forecast is for even hotter weather tomorrow, so we're happy with our tyre selection. It will be a challenge tomorrow but that's no bad thing - it'll keep us sharp. I'm actually looking forward to it. With the right strategy, we'll have a good race."