Ferrari suffers engine failure

Giancarlo Fisichella's bad luck continues. After his spectacular exit from the Monaco Grand Prix, the Italian suffered an engine failure in the first session of free practice in Germany and will therefore start the race 10 places back on the grid from where he qualifies. Thanks to swift work by the Sauber mechanics, Fisichella was out in time for the second free practice session.

"It was most unfortunate that I had an engine problem after such a short time this morning," said the Italian. "Obviously that lost me valuable track time, but by far the most serious effect is that I must lose 10 grid places tomorrow. Right now I am feeling a little bit unlucky..."

The Ferrari-built engines in the Sauber are, of course, known as Petronas units but it is the team's second failure of the season, after Felipe Massa lost an engine in the season-opening Grand Prix in Melbourne.

Michael Schumacher, of course, failed to finish in Monaco and also crashed out in Brazil last year. Amazingly though, the six-time champion has not suffered a mechanical failure since Hockenheim 2001, when a fuel pump failure stopped him in his home Grand Prix.

Team-mate Massa didn't fare much better on the opening day after he experienced electrical problems which left unable to better the 20th quickest time.

"This afternoon something went wrong with the electrics on my car, and I stopped by Turn 10 where Giancarlo stopped this morning," he said. "There was no warning, it just cut out. I was on a new set of tyres but never got to use them. On the positive side, the car felt nice and consistent on old tyres this morning and initially this afternoon."