Heidfeld: More work needed on qualifying

The German has been outqualified by teammate Robert Kubica at every race so far this season, after struggling to get enough heat into his tyres to enable them to operate at their best over a single lap.

And although the BMW Sauber driver had initially hoped that there would be a simple solution to his problem, he now thinks that it will take a couple of steps for him to get on top of the issue.

However, after spending a day at Barcelona testing last week experimenting with set-up solutions, he thinks he is starting to get near his target.

"Yes, I think we have made some good progress - clear results that should help me, not only in qualifying but also with race pace, which wasn't that bad anyway," he said at Magny-Cours, ahead of this weekend's French Grand Prix. "I think the car is quicker for me now and easier to drive."

With Heidfeld focusing on tyre temperature management and getting more comfortable with the way the car moves around on new rubber, he is hopeful that progress will continue over the next few races.

"In the beginning I hoped that I would change one thing and boom suddenly it would work, but now I have more the feeling that it is a couple of small things that should bring the result," he explained.

"Already before the test we had a couple of positive ideas that worked. Now I feel more changes, and I'm optimistic that we are going in the right direction. But I no longer think that changing one thing will make qualifying fantastic. Unfortunately, I think it is more of a process. I thought I would solve it more quickly."

Looking back at the events in Canada, where BMW Sauber took their maiden victory, Heidfeld admitted that he was not hugely delighted with the events of the afternoon.

"No, I was not fully satisfied as I had a good chance to win my first Grand Prix," he said. "However it was a great result for the team finishing 1-2, with a perfect strategy for the team.

"Converting me to a one-stop and having Robert on a two-stop, in the end even if there would have been a safety car, I would have been lucky with the win.

"So it was great for the team, but of course if you are so close to your first win then you cannot be satisfied."