Renault duo left hoping for rain

Neither driver made it into the top ten in qualifying and both confessed afterwards that their R27 has simply not been quick enough around the Shanghai circuit.

Kovalainen said: "Clearly my final timed lap could have been better: I made a mistake by running wide in turn 13 before the long back straight, so I then had only one real opportunity to make the time back up, which was in turn 16.

"I tried to carry too much speed, and it went wrong: the car ran over the rumble strip, and the lap was gone. It was touch and go whether I could have got into the top ten, but I had to be right on the limit all the way round the lap to make it, and unfortunately a little mistake cost me.

"The times were very close today, and I would imagine there have been some different approaches in terms of set-up, although the top speeds are all quite close so perhaps the variation is not that big.

"But the car has a pretty neutral balance; it's just that the speed wasn't there today. Now, we need to see wait and see what happens tomorrow."

Fisichella qualified a lowly 18th, his worst qualifying performance since the 2004 British Grand Prix, not counting this year's race at Spa, where he was hit by an engine change penalty.

"This was a really disappointing and frustrating session," he said. "I have been struggling with the car since Friday morning, and we only started to find the right direction with the set-up on the final run in third practice this morning. That meant I went into qualifying quite under-prepared.

"After that, we ran the soft tyre for the second run, and I had some graining at the end of the lap. I made a mistake in the last corner which cost me two tenths - and that meant I didn't make it.

"All we can do now is wait for the conditions tomorrow, and try to take advantage."