Heidfeld stays calm despite slow start

Heidfeld finished down in 19th position, the German admitting he was not comfortable with the handling of his BMW Sauber car.

He was also hit by technical problems, although he did not lose track time.

But the BMW driver is confident he will be able to make progress tomorrow and remains calm about his prospects for the weekend.

"My first day of practice didn't go too smoothly this time," said Heidfeld. "I'm not happy with the balance of the car yet, it is sliding too much. Because of this in the first session I spun once, which seldom happens to me. Also, which is exceptional for us, in the second session I had minor technical problems.

"First the brake balance adjuster in the cockpit came loose, and shortly before the end of the session we had a hydraulic alarm and I came into the pit. There were only three minutes left, so it wasn't worth going out again.

"However, I didn't really lose track time and it's only Friday. I'm totally confident we shall improve for tomorrow."

Robert Kubica had a more positive day, going on to post the 11th fastest time, but the Pole said his car too was lacking grip.

"It was a normal Friday," said the Pole. "We did some set-up work in the morning, and concentrated on the tyre evaluation in the afternoon. I really enjoyed driving on this track, as it's demanding and fun at the same time. The balance of the car is quite okay, but we are lacking overall grip."