Smooth surface suits Sauber

Both Nick Heidfeld and Felipe Massa will run with revised bodywork on their C21s this weekend after a successful test at Valencia. Last season Heidfeld finished sixth in the French GP and he's hoping the improvements will allow for a similar result this time out.

"I like Magny-Cours because it is not boring and requires a lot of concentration," he said. "The two quick chicanes are very narrow and you really have to focus very hard there when you tackle them at high speed. The entry to second chicane is blind, which is pretty tricky, and the car tends to go quite light there. At the last chicane, you can damage your undertray very easily if you are not careful. It's very much a track that keeps you on your toes."

Team-mate Massa has never raced on the track but as always he's confident that he'll be on the pace during the weekend.

"I've never been to Magny-Cours, but I won't have any problem to learn the circuit," he said. "And it's always better if you don't have so many bumps. The Sauber is quick and well balanced, so I think we will be competitive again this weekend."

Sauber's best ever French GP result came in 1994 when the team took a double top six finish with Heinz-Harald Frentzen fourth and Andrea de Cesaris sixth.