Heidfeld eyes strong qualifying in Canada

The German has been struggling to match his teammate Robert Kubica's pace due to problems with getting his tyres up to the right temperature during qualifying runs.

Kubica has outqualified Heidfeld in all races so far this year, but the German is hopeful to leave his problems behind in Canada, scene of his best qualifying showing of the 2007 season.

"Last year's Canadian Grand Prix was a very special race for me," he said in a team preview. "We put in a very strong showing in 2007. I came third in qualifying and finished second in the race on my own merit.

"Initially that result was obviously overshadowed by Robert's accident. Only when we knew he was okay were we able to celebrate.

"Of course I'm very much hoping I'll do well in qualifying this time. I'm working with the engineers to get the tyres back fast enough into the temperature zone where they really build up grip."

Kubica is also looking forward to racing in Montreal, despite his huge accident during last year's race.

"I am looking forward to the next race in Montreal. It is a special one, as it is a very nice city and the fans there are really enthusiastic. I like the track because there is a lot of heavy braking and stop-and-go. It is very important in Montreal to have good traction to exit the slow corners perfectly.

"We have to take care especially in the beginning of the weekend: the track then has very low grip as it is no permanent race track. Although I had a very big accident there in 2007, Montreal is one of my favourite tracks."