Third Better than Second, Says Raikkonen

Finn Kimi Raikkonen said he was happy to miss out on a front row start in tomorrow's German Grand Prix.

The McLaren driver posted the fourth quickest time of the day, but with Jenson Button - third fastest - receiving a penalty for changing his engine Raikkonen was promoted to third and, more importantly for him, to the cleaner side of the track.

"It was an OK qualifying as we got the best out of the car, and I didn't make any mistakes," said Raikkonen. "Our package is pretty strong, and we have been able to run consistently in race trim, so I'm confident for tomorrow when we should be able to fight for a good position.

"I think it's actually better to start from third than second here at Hockenheim as you are on the inside."

The McLaren team will fill the second row after Scot David Coulthard posted the fifth quickest time of the session.

"I'm much happier with the balance of the car as we have taken a significant step forward since yesterday," said Coulthard. "My qualifying lap was good, and I think I could have been even a bit faster, but as our pace has been pretty consistent we should have a strong race tomorrow.

"However, as always it's difficult to make predictions as you never know what fuel loads the other teams are on, but I think we have a solid strategy, and I look forward to a competitive race."