Massa laments missing out on front row

The Brazilian Ferrari driver set the fastest lap of the day - 1:20.584 - in Q2, but was then unable to repeat the feat in the final session, finishing behind teammate Kimi Raikkonen and Renault's Fernando Alonso.

"I just couldn't put the lap together on the last try," admitted Massa, winner of the last race in Bahrain. "On the first try I got the lap together but it was a bit early, to be honest, but I couldn't have same level as before.

"If you lose a small tenth you lose one or two positions. I put the lap together in the wrong moment but it is okay, we have a good car and should be an interesting race tomorrow."

Massa, who was over two tenths of a second slower than Raikkonen, reckons he could have been on pole if not for the lost time when he got too much wheelspin at Turn 7 during his final run.

"We just lost a little bit which maybe cost me the fight for pole," he added.

"I had a little bit of wheelspin in Turn 7 and also in the slow corners where I couldn't do the same, so it is tricky and that is the way it is. When you have competition like that you can lose it like that."