Stoddart Praises 'Faultless' Davidson

Briton Anthony Davidson, driving a Minardi, will make his debut from last place on the grid after successfully qualifying little more than half a second slower than his Australian teammate Mark Webber.

Team boss Paul Stoddart was delighted by the performance of his stand-in driver, replacing underperforming Malaysian Alex Yoong for the next two races. Davidson had not driven the Minardi before Friday or raced at the Hungaroring before.

"To be only half a second away from Mark and to have put in five faultless sessions, that's pretty good by any standards," said Stoddart.

Davidson, meanwhile, was pleased to have achieved his goal of qualifying for the race, but admitted he was somewhat disappointed as he believed he could have gone faster. The Briton, nonetheless, was looking forward to Sunday's race.

"That was good, and I'm pleased to have qualified for my first Grand Prix, but there was definitely more to come and I'm slightly disappointed that I didn't achieve it," he said. "In particular, I wish I could have got a little closer to Mark's time today because I know it's in me.

"I felt my way a little in the first run and then pushed hard in the second to set what I knew needed to be a 'banker'. It was definitely a bit nerve-wracking going out for that first run this afternoon, but I've always loved qualifying, and the precision and concentration needed to set a competitive time in just one or two laps.

"The next goal for this weekend is to run consistently in the race, stay out of trouble and get my first Grand Prix finish under my belt. I also need to learn as much as I can about pit stops and race strategy. I'm really looking forward to it."