Webber Laments Driving Error

The Australian, one of the last men out on the track in qualifying after his fourth place finish in the Japanese Grand Prix, had hoped to be able to make the most of the improving circuit conditions but lost out after running wide at the penultimate corner.

That mistake left him down in 10th place on the grid and downbeat about being able to make much of an impact in the race.

"It would have been nice to have finished the one-lap qualifying format with a clean lap," he said. "I was trying to do a really good one but in the last sector I braked a bit late before the hairpin and went wide, losing three or four tenths.

"It's a shame and it doesn't help for tomorrow, but still it was worth trying. Achieving a reasonable starting position was crucial for having a good race tomorrow. Having to start from 10th position means that I'm likely to be held up in traffic for quite a while."

Teammate Antonio Pizzonia paid the price for his early exit from the Japanese Grand Prix as he encountered the tricky conditions early on in the session.

"I was among the first cars out for qualifying and the track conditions were quite bad," explained the Brazilian, 13th. "It was dirty, which affected the car balance.

"Being out so early, I didn't expect to have the same amount of grip that I had at the end of this morning's Free Practice sessions, but still I was quite surprised by the lack of it.

"Anyway, it's going to be an interesting race, especially because there are several places for overtaking here. The first corner will be crucial tomorrow as it's a bit tricky but it's technically good. I like this track very much."