Kovalainen predicts better race result

The Renault driver, who will start from ninth thanks to a penalty to BMW's Robert Kubica, believes some drivers in front of him will use a different strategy tomorrow.

That has left the Finn confident that he will be able to improve his position in the race.

"I have been very happy with the car all weekend, and our pace in the second part of qualifying reflected that," he said.

"I didn't manage to put a good lap together on Friday, so finished quite a long way down the times, but everything came together nicely for me today and I was really able to push the car to the limit.

"I think our starting position may reflect some differences in strategy, as I know I put in a strong lap on my final run. Both types of tyres were working well in practice, so I think we should feel optimistic for every stint of the race, and look forward to a strong, aggressive performance."

Giancarlo Fisichella qualified behind his teammate after complaining about the handling of his car.

"I was already struggling a little with the car this morning, and didn't feel fully comfortable," the Italian said. "And unfortunately, I had the same problem in qualifying. The car was sliding a lot, and it meant I just couldn't carry the speed through the corners like I wanted to.

"In the end, I only missed out on the top ten by a tenth of a second, but we know that if we don't get everything right at the moment, then we have the risk of not getting to the final qualifying session. Hopefully, we can have a better race."