Webber surprised by qualifying pace

Webber's Red Bull Racing team struggled for pace during winter testing, but the Australian put on a surprising performance on Saturday, making it to the final shootout and qualifying in a strong seventh place.

"I didn't think I'd be seventh, so it's great," Webber said. "We lost time with a transmission problem yesterday, but the guys worked really hard last night, did a good job and we've got something out of it.

"We've done a lot of testing over the winter break, but it's always interesting to actually get into the ring at the first race and see where we are.

"There's still a long way to go tomorrow, we have to see if we can deliver in the race - it should be an interesting grand prix."

Webber's day was in contrast with his teammate David Coulthard's. The Scot failed to make it to the second session after running over dirt on his flying lap in the dying moments of the first part of qualifying.

Coulthard had to settle for 19th position.

"The first and second sectors of my last timed lap were good, but I came through Turn 15 and there was a lot of dust and dirt on the track, which got on my tyres," explained Coulthard.

"I then went in to the last corner, went out of the groove and on to the marbles, so lost all the time I'd gained in the first two sectors.

"What should have been a fairly easy 'getting through' session didn't prove to be the case. I didn't expect to be nineteenth on the grid, but that's the reality, so now I'll focus on the race and see what we can get out of that."