Heidfeld says poor qualifying just a blip

The BMW driver has struggled in qualifying for much of 2008, but made a breakthrough at Silverstone a fortnight ago and started fifth.

However at Hockenheim yesterday he missed the Q3 cut again and had to settle for 12th on the grid.

He insisted this was just a blip caused by his own mistake, though.

"It was me fucking it up!" Heidfeld said. "I think the pace was okay for the whole weekend in the practice sessions, even if you look at Q1 it was okay.

"Q2 I just didn't get a lap together and I locked up the wheels completely going into Turn 6. That was the problem there.

"Obviously it's disappointing, but better than a couple of races ago when I had no idea and it didn't work out. Now I know the pace would have been there. Of course it's disappointing to make a mistake but I hope it's just a small setback. I still think I'm on the way up."

He denied that he had allowed the pressure of racing in front of his home crowd to affect his driving.

"No, I don't think about that on the track," said Heidfeld

"It was two small mistakes with a big outcome - the first one was in the second to last corner, braking a little too late and together with a bit of graining that was it.

"And the rear locking in the second qualifying shot - I looked at the data, the difference was minor on everything but it was enough to lock the rears. It can happen sometimes."