Kovalainen hopeful after strong showing

The Finn had missed the final session last time out in Hungary but recovered well today, qualifying in seventh position and ahead of teammate Giancarlo Fisichella.

It was the fourth consecutive time Kovalainen has outqualified the Italian, and the Renault rookie is now hopeful for the race.

"I needed a good qualifying session today, after failing to make it into the top ten in Hungary," said Kovalainen. "We worked out the problems we had in Budapest, and we were more careful in our approach. That paid off because we were back on our normal pace.

"The team has done a great job throughout the weekend to improve the car, and I want to thank my engineers and mechanics for all their hard work since Thursday. The balance was consistent, and we had a good level of performance on both types of tyre.

"Clearly, we are still some way off the top teams, but if we keep our heads down and carry on working, then we know we will get there. First priority, though, is tomorrow's race. I think we are in a good position, and the strategy is the right one. Hopefully we can consolidate our position, and try to race with the cars in front."

Fisichella, meanwhile, had problems with his car's balance and had to settle for 10th place.

"This wasn't a brilliant session for me," he said. "I was struggling with the balance as it was quite windy and the car was understeering for a lot of the lap. In terms of competitiveness, we are in our usual position behind the top three teams.

"The conditions tomorrow will be extremely hot, and I am expecting a tough race. The target will be to out-race the cars immediately around us, and to try and make up some positions to get into the points."