Australian GP Sauber Friday notes

Program: Nick Heidfeld and Kimi Räikkönen finished in seventh and 11th places respectively after today's first free practice sessions for the Qantas Australian Grand Prix.

Kimi Räikkönen (Driver): I'm pleased with 11th place today, but I have to say that I didn't come here with any specific expectations. I just wanted to take things as they came and let the situation develop. The circuit is not too difficult to learn, and my only real problem was that I persistently had too much understeer in the final sector. We'll be working on that for tomorrow, but today was a good start to my F1 career.

Nick Heidfeld (Driver): Naturally I'm disappointed to finish the day in the gravel in Turn Six, but overall it has been a good start for us. The car was reasonably well balanced all day and I could push hard. The lap times were good, and the tyres remained consistent.

I went off because the brake pedal went solid and nothing happened for a moment, then the brakes worked again but I was already running out of road. Maybe there was a stone in the caliper, but we have to investigate. Next time I think I'll get out of the car quicker; I'd just spoken to the team on the radio, climbed out and reattached the steering wheel, when I turned round to see Michael's accident. Fortunately he was okay.

Peter Sauber (Team Principal): It was normal Friday practice today, but a good practice for us. Nick was able to perform consistently all day until his problem, and Kimi Räikkönen´s first official F1 practice was really great. Eleventh place makes him the fastest rookie.

-Sauber-