Williams Duo Hope for Stronger Race

The BMW-powered team have struggled for pace all weekend and both drivers are now just praying that their set-up will pay dividends over the long-runs.

"In general it was a reasonable lap for us," said Webber. "We know tomorrow is a different ballgame in terms of strategy and what is going to happen with tyres and things, but so far today has gone well for me. We have done as much as we can to help the car in the race."

A clearly downbeat Heidfeld explained: "It was quite difficult, actually. I am not so happy. We had quite low grip. Yesterday was a lot better. This morning we did struggle a bit. That's it."

Both Williams drivers confessed that the Michelin tyre issue had affected their day, and Webber in particular is adamant that safety must be the absolute priority when it comes to making a decision about participating in tomorrow's race.

His experience at Le Mans in 1999, when the Mercedes-Benz team were at the centre of a safety controversy over their car, has made him well aware of the consequences of pressing ahead with a race before all doubts have been erased.

"The tyre situation is obviously an issue at the moment, even if we didn't experience any problems," said the Australian.

"However, I have been through a similar situation before at Le Mans and it's important that the right decision is taken for all concerned. I am sure that Michelin will find a good solution in order to guarantee safety and a good race for everyone involved, included the pubic, of course."

Heidfeld added: "It is a bit of an unknown territory what we have entered in consequence of the tyre issue and this has probably also affected our performance today. However, we must say we haven't experienced any problems with our tyre so far this weekend."