Rubens 17 year of experience could see him as a world champion

Rubens Barrichello will use his 17 years of Formula One experience to ensure the pressure of being title challenger does not ruin his chances of becoming champion.

Barrichello played it cool during the Belgian Grand Prix, after a clutch problem at the start for the third time this year relegated him from fourth to last approaching the first corner.

The 37-year-old then stayed calm by nursing his car home over the final three laps - with Williams' Nico Rosberg and Red Bull's Mark Webber on his tail - despite smoke billowing from the back.

With Brawn GP team-mate Jenson Button failing to score a point for the first time this season after a first-lap crash, Barrichello at least closed the gap to the Briton to 16 points with his seventh- placed finish.

After taking 10 points out of Button's lead over the last two races, Barrichello said: "It's positive my season has come alive.

"As for the pressure, it is something that you create in your own head.

"In a golf match, for example, if you play against somebody it could get into your head - but if you play against the golf course, it's easier.

"You just have to do your best, and that's what I'm doing. I did really well over the whole weekend, although I got lucky that I finished with two points with all the problems.

"On pure performance I should have finished on the podium when I knew my team-mate would struggle to finish in the points.

"I guess pressure will always exist, but I'm quite cool and I've been there and done that.

"It helps that I've been with a team such as Ferrari and I've seen what happens and lived through it.

"Looking at it, my chances are bigger here. The team cannot say they are going to support one driver over another, because Red Bull are right there as well.

"They have to support both, and I feel good about that."

Barrichello did not allow his anger to take hold after his first-lap woes.

"I had a little swear on the radio because of the start," he confirmed.

"Obviously, you're always annoyed when something like that happens. But after it, I changed page and I had a good race - although I did think it was over when I saw the smoke towards the end.

"I just prayed everything I could in every language, and it worked out.

"I have to look at what happened as a positive, that two points is better than nothing, and better still when you think that two weeks ago I was 26 points behind and now I'm 16."

Button - I want to win again

Jenson Button is desperate to savour that winning feeling again as he continues to stumble his way towards the Formula One world title.

For the first time this season Button not only failed to pick up a point, he failed to finish a race after crashing out of the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa.

The first-lap shunt saw him punted off the track by Romain Grosjean in his Renault, with the accident also snaring Lewis Hamilton in his McLaren and the Toro Rosso of Jaime Alguersuari.

After his rampant run of six victories in the first seven races, Button has since taken just 11 points from the last five.

The 29-year-old is fortunate not to have been overhauled by now as his three main rivals in Rubens Barrichello, Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber have been falling over themselves to catch Button.

With five grands prix remaining, Button's lead is still 16 points over Brawn GP team-mate Barrichello, with the feeling he could take 11 points again from those five and still end up champion.

But that is not how Button wants to claim the title, commenting: "I suppose having six wins in seven races is the reason why it's taken them so long to close up.

"But we've got to start getting back to being competitive. I know all I need to do is finish fourth or fifth, but that's not what I want to do. I want to win races.

"You've got to say 'think about the championship,' but I still want to win races. It's what I'm here to do, and it's what I love doing, competing at the front.

"So I'm going to be aggressive. I'm not going to suddenly back off after qualifying and take it easy in the races because even if I'm in fifth I still want to do well.

"I still want to win races and I still want to be competitive, and that's exactly what I hope will happen at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza (September 13)."

It is unsurprising Button is able to remain so upbeat because luck would appear to be on his side, as witnessed yesterday following his crash.

The Red Bulls were expected to coast to victory, yet Vettel only managed third and Webber ninth following a drive-through penalty for an unsafe release from the pits.

As for Barrichello, he only collected two points for seventh after a clutch problem at the start relegated him from fourth to last by the first corner.

Of course, Button has his own problems as he slated his car in the wake of a qualifying performance that saw him start a season-low 14th.

He knows there can be no room for frustration, adding: "I've just got to get my head down and work with the team to solve our issues and work on the set-up for Monza.

"We've already discussed what we're going to do there, so I'm looking forward to it.

"I'm positive and excited about the challenge of the next few races. I'm not frustrated or negative."

Button is fully expecting the McLarens and Ferraris to dominate at Monza given the power boost provided by KERS, leaving the rest to fight for the scraps, which would again play into his hands.

"I don't think the Red Bulls will be the main rivals on a circuit that should suit us," assessed Button.

"It's going to be more the McLarens, and Force India because they are good on low downforce.

"Kimi (Raikkonen) will also be quick, and I don't know who else is going to be in the other Ferrari.

"If you've KERS it will be better for you because you can give it a double boost along the home straight.

"You've six seconds out of Parabolica, and six seconds after the start-finish line, so they are going to be pulling half a second, six tenths on us on a qualifying lap.

"We've also a little bit of work to do to make sure the car works over the kerbs, but it's a circuit that should be reasonably good for our car."

Button will suffer for his mistakes - C.Horner

Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner is convinced Jenson Button will ultimately be punished for his run of poor form.

Button has taken just 11 points from the last five races, yet none of his title rivals has been able to take significant advantage.

Even after failing to finish for the first time this year following a first-lap accident at the Belgian Grand Prix, Button was still able to smile.

The 29-year-old's Brawn GP team-mate Rubens Barrichello limped over the line with smoke pouring from the back of a car that caught fire in the pit lane, claiming two points for seventh to close within 16 points.

As for Horner's drivers, Sebastian Vettel is now 19 points adrift after the 21-year-old finished third at Spa.

Mark Webber, meanwhile, failed to score for the second successive race - trailing home ninth after taking a drive-through penalty for an unsafe release from the pits, leaving him 20.5 points down.

Although the trio are struggling to catch Button, Horner feels he will soon pay the price if he fails to improve.

"Rubens has taken 10 points out of him in the last two races and Sebastian six points here - and he's not had a good weekend since Istanbul in early June," assessed Horner.

"He can't continue to have race weekends like he's had without being punished points wise in the next couple of events.

"It's still a four-horse race between now and the end of the championship.

"It's all left to play for, and I think there's going to be another twist in the championship between now and the end of the year.

"Sebastian has moved to within 19 points - and although Mark didn't score, both still have a real chance of overhauling him."

Vettel is convinced "anything is possible" - in particular with the sport so unpredictable, because the first time since 1982 there have been six winners of the last six races.

"It is still open, but the championship is a bit crazy right now," he said.

"When I followed it as a little boy it was always pretty boring. You more or less knew at the first race who was competitive.

"But as we saw, Force India were quick over the weekend - and most likely they will be quick in Monza (Italian Grand Prix).

"So it is up and down, which shows how important it is to be consistent - which has not been our strength.

"But we are here to fight and we are still in reach. I took six points out of Jenson, which is a good thing."

No points from the last two grands prix have severely impacted on Webber's chances, who is already focusing on the next race in Monza on September 13.

"It's very frustrating not to take any points away. I thought I deserved them from my drive, but the drive-through wrecked that," bemoaned Webber.

"No one's interested in excuses, though. That's how it is, so let's get on and look ahead to the next race."

Luca "Look How Bad You Are" Badoer

Ferrari will decide within the next three days whether Luca Badoer will drive for the team at the Italian Grand Prix.

Badoer's two performances since stepping in as replacement for the recuperating Felipe Massa have been so miserable he has earned the cruel nickname 'Look How Bad You Are'.

At the European Grand Prix in Valencia and for Sunday's race in Belgium, Badoer qualified at the back of the grid and was last of those that finished.

The team's tester of 12 years has been an embarrassment, and it is hard to imagine Ferrari keeping faith with the 38-year-old for the most important race of their year.

It is almost certain Ferrari will turn to Force India's Giancarlo Fisichella who, after starting from pole, gave the team their first points in Formula One by finishing a superb second to Kimi Raikkonen.

Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali refused to give anything away, but said: "First of all, Luca has to cheer with us because he is part of the team.

"For what he has done for the team, he deserves the victory with us.

"With regard to what we are going to do for the next races, we will tell you in the next three days."

Regarding Fisichella, Domenicali added: "Giancarlo is a driver that seems to be very fast, and he had a great race.

"But I cannot say whether the speculation is true or not."

The team will instead initially focus on the latest step in Massa's recovery from a fractured skull sustained in a horrific accident in last month's Hungarian Grand Prix as he will visit renowned neurosurgeon Steve Olvey in Miami.

"I heard from Felipe after the race and he was very happy. He cheered with us," added Domenicali.

"He is already in Miami, and today he will have his medical check. Then we will use all our consideration after that.

"We will put on the table all the different things that are correct and have been considered, and then we will make a decision."

Despite the speculation surrounding the second race seat, there was no hiding the understandable delight within Ferrari at their first win this year, and Raikkonen's first in 26 races.

"It hasn't been an easy year for us," said Raikkonen.

"We have not brought new parts to the car for a few races now as we are really putting all our effort into next year.

"My aim was still to win at least one race this season and try to keep third place in the (constructors') championship, so this is going to help us a lot.

"It is great for the team. Hopefully now we can get some more good results. We will now see what we can do in the last part of the season."

A beaming Domenicali, who joined Raikkonen on the podium, remarked: "It was a great day.

"After such a difficult season up to now, and after what happened to Felipe just one month ago, I think it was really what the team deserved.

"We at Ferrari, we never give up, we always push, and this is a gift to our president (Luca di Montezemolo), whose birthday is today, and for Felipe who has cheered with us from Brazil.

"Also for the entire Ferrari family and tifosi (their fans) who have suffered with us."

Championship leader Jenson Button and reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton were both involved in a first-lap pile up that brought their race to a premature end.

Button still has a 16-point lead over Brawn GP team-mate Rubens Barrichello who was seventh, with Sebastian Vettel 19 points off the Briton after he claimed the other podium place for Red Bull.

Kimi Raikkonen - King of Kings

Kimi Raikkonen claimed his fourth Belgian Grand Prix victory in five years to end an astonishing run of 26 races without a win for the 2007 world champion.

It was a chaos-filled event, though, with British duo Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton crashing out on the opening lap in an accident that also accounted for the Toro Rosso of Jaime Alguersuari and Renault's Romain Grosjean.

Despite Button failing to score points for the first time this season, the 29-year-old still has a 16-point cushion over Brawn GP team-mate Rubens Barrichello who was seventh, with Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel 19 points down after he came home third.

Raikkonen was hounded all the way in his Ferrari for the majority of the race by pole-sitter Giancarlo Fisichella, who gave Force India their first points in F1 after 30 races with a second-place finish.

Raikkonen, after his 18th career win, said: "We haven't brought new parts for the last few races as we are looking at next year.

"But my aim was always still to win a race because we are aiming for third in the (constructors') championship.

"We probably weren't the fastest in terms of lap time, but we were able to keep everybody behind us.

"Hopefully we can now win more."

Fisichella was delighted and disappointed in equal measure as he said: "It's a great result for us.

"It's a great day but I was quicker than Kimi and I'm a little bit sad because maybe I could have won the race as I was keeping pace with his car."

Vettel concedes anything is possible now over the remaining five races as he, Webber and Barrichello continue to reel in Button.

"If you look at the championship it's a good result," remarked Vettel.

"We lost too much ground in the first stint because of the guys ahead, but in the second and third the car was fantastic. It was a pleasure to drive.

"We've managed to take points out of the Brawns, so overall a big thank you to the team and to Renault (engine providers) after all the trouble we've gone through recently.

"It shows we are back."

Raikkonen, after his 18th career win, said: "We haven't brought new parts for the last few races as we are looking at next year.

"But my aim was always still to win a race because we are aiming for third in the (constructors') championship.

"We probably weren't the fastest in terms of lap time, but we were able to keep everybody behind us.

"Hopefully we can now win more."

Fisichella was delighted and disappointed in equal measure as he said: "It's a great result for us.

"It's a great day but I was quicker than Kimi and I'm a little bit sad because maybe I could have won the race as I was keeping pace with his car."

Vettel concedes anything is possible now over the remaining five races as he, Webber and Barrichello continue to reel in Button.

"If you look at the championship it's a good result," remarked Vettel.

"We lost too much ground in the first stint because of the guys ahead, but in the second and third the car was fantastic. It was a pleasure to drive.

"We've managed to take points out of the Brawns, so overall a big thank you to the team and to Renault (engine providers) after all the trouble we've gone through recently.

"It shows we are back."

Given yesterday's remarkable qualifying session that culminated in Fisichella claiming his team's maiden pole, a chaotic race was expected, and so it proved.

Reigning world champion Hamilton, though, and current championship leader Button would not have expected to have been involved in such chaos, with their grand prix over after less than half a lap.

From 12th and 14th on the grid, and after avoiding the stalled Brawn GP of Rubens Barrichello and a shunt at the first corner La Source hairpin involving Toyota's Timo Glock and the Force India of Adrian Sutil, Hamilton and Button both crashed out three kilometres later at Les Combes.

Approaching the right-left hander at the top of the hill and at the end of the long, fast Kemmel Straight, Hamilton initially appeared to be caught by Alguersuari, sending both into the wall.

In close attendance behind, and braking given the mayhem ahead of him, Button was hit from behind by the Renault of another rookie in Romain Grosjean, sending both spinning out.

The stewards announced they would investigate both incidents after the race, with the likelihood being that Alguersuari and Grosjean - should blame be apportioned - will be deemed the more guilty parties.

It naturally resulted in the deployment of the safety car come the end of the first lap, with Raikkonen directly behind Fisichella.

The Finn had used the power boost provided by KERS to strike going up the hill, running wide and onto the grass at Les Combes at one stage prior to the accident unfolding behind him.

It was then KERS that allowed Raikkonen to pass Fisichella down the straight on lap five after the safety car had departed after three laps.

It was also KERS that ensured the 29-year-old kept his nose in front for the remainder of the 44-lap race as Fisichella never once managed to get close enough to attempt a pass.

That was despite the fact the Italian, almost certain to replace Luca Badoer at Ferrari for the Italian Grand Prix in a fortnight, was never more than two seconds adrift, and often less than a second.

Behind the leading trio, the BMW Sauber duo of Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld finished fourth and fifth for the team's best result of the year.

Heikki Kovalainen was sixth from 15th on the grid after McLaren adopted a one-stop strategy for the Finn to at least collect three points.

Barrichello's race was compromised by a stalled start that saw him relegated to the back of the field from fourth on the grid by the end of the first corner.

Despite that, and an oil leak that saw smoke billow from his car for the final three laps and resulted in it going up in flames in the pit lane at the conclusion, the Brazilian still managed to claim two points.

The 37-year-old had Williams' Nico Rosberg and Red Bull's Mark Webber directly behind him, the latter suffering after taking a drive-through penalty.

That followed an unsafe release from the pits after his first stop as he almost collided into Heidfeld on exit, leaving the Australian 20.5 points adrift of Button.

Button left out with a sigh of relief

Jenson Button was left breathing a sigh of relief after a Belgian Grand Prix that lasted just 40 seconds for the championship leader.

Despite failing to score any points in a race for the first time this year after being shunted into retirement by Renault's Romain Grosjean, Button was still smiling.

The 29-year-old went on to watch the remainder of the race from the Brawn GP pit wall, at the end of which his title lead had only been cut by a mere two points, with team-mate Rubens Barrichello now 16 adrift.

Of his closest rivals, Barrichello salvaged two points from seventh after a clutch problem at the start saw him plummet from fourth to last heading into the first corner, La Source hairpin.

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel is now 19 points behind after a third-place finish behind Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, his first victory for 26 races, and Force India's Giancarlo Fisichella.

As for Mark Webber, the Australian trailed home ninth, primarily for incurring a drive-through penalty for an unsafe release from the pits as he almost collided into BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld.

"After the accident, and with me not scoring any points, it's a relief," said Button as he reflected on a weekend to forget.

"It's better to have my first retirement here where I haven't been so competitive, than when I'm running at the front.

"But I'm positive. There's no reason to be down, even though I have lost two points of my championship lead, which is not good.

"It could've been worse, but then it could've been a lot better.

"Rubens got a bad start, and I was up in 12th or 11th. It could have been a good race for me until I got hit at turn five, which was obviously very disappointing.

"We've just got to hope it goes the other way at the next race (the Italian Grand Prix at Monza).

"We're determined to be more competitive there at a track which should be quite good for our car."

Button, though, was left incredulous at the fact Grosjean blamed him for their crash at Les Combes.

It was one which also accounted for reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton, who was broadsided by Jaime Alguersuari in his Toro Rosso.

Although the stewards investigated both incidents after the race, they decided no action would be taken against any driver.

Grosjean, insisting "Button took me out at turn five," earned sharp shrift from the Briton in reply, who said: "I can't believe he's blaming me. He hit me.

"But to be fair I don't really care. It's not really important. I didn't score any points, and that's what's important.

"We've just got to look forward to Monza, and we've already talked over ideas for there, certain things you need to have a quick lap, and also how we go about the weekend."

The accident naturally brought the safety car into play for three laps as race marshals cleared the four wrecked cars and debris.

It played into Raikkonen's hands because once the race resumed he swiftly passed Fisichella for the lead down the long, fast Kemmel Straight early on lap five.

Aided by the power boost provided by KERS, Raikkonen managed to keep Fisichella at bay for the remainder of the race.

There was no way past for the 36-year-old Italian who was never more than two seconds behind, and often within a second.

In taking his fourth victory in five years at Spa, and providing Ferrari with their first triumph this season, Raikkonen said: "It hasn't been an easy year for us.

"We have not brought new parts to the car for a few races now as we are really putting all our effort into next year.

"My aim was still to win at least one race this season and try to keep third place in the (constructors') championship, so this is going to help us a lot.

"It is great for the team. Hopefully now we can get some more good results. We will see what we can do in the last part of the season."

It was a mixture of emotions for Fisichella because despite giving Force India their first points in F1 after 30 races, the man likely to be joining Ferrari at Monza believes he could have won the race.

"Prior to the race just to have finished eighth would have been fantastic, so to finish second is a great weekend for us," said Fisichella.

"But for the safety car I feel I could have won the race as I was quicker than Kimi, but anyway second is fantastic, and I am really happy for the team, for myself."

BMW Sauber secured their best result of the year with Robert Kubica fourth and Heidfeld fifth, with McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen sixth, while Nico Rosberg claimed the final point for Williams.

Mallya shocked by his teams performance

Force India tycoon Vijay Mallya was left "in a state of shock" after Giancarlo Fisichella broke the team's Formula One points duck at Spa.

The usually-ebullient Mallya appeared somewhat subdued despite Fisichella's second place from pole in the Belgian Grand Prix, finishing just 0.9 seconds behind Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen.

In their 30th race, Force India were on the podium two years ahead of Mallya's stated ambition as he had previously set such a target by the time of the Indian Grand Prix in 2011.

"As you well know, this is our first real year in Formula One as Force India," remarked Mallya.

"Last year all we did was race the Spyker car because we bought the team at the end of 2007, and in 2008 it was the same Spyker package, the same management team, the same engineering.

"Then we revamped everything and designed and built this car, and I think since Australia it's fair to say we haven't been the laggards at the back.

"We've been a good midfield team and improving all the time, and we went into this race again hoping for points.

"Then when pole showed up we were ecstatic, and clearly we are ecstatic today with the podium finish."

Despite his comment, Mallya was anything but ecstatic, so when asked as to why he was not, the owner of the Kingfisher empire added: "I'm in a bit of a state of shock actually.

"We are still a small team, but obviously we are a good enough team to be on the podium and score some points, so obviously I am very happy.

"The pole was the first real breakthrough, a little surprising, but a very pleasant surprise.

"Starting from pole I was quietly confident we would be in the points that have literally eluded us for a long time.

"We were distinctly unlucky in three previous races in which we should have been in the points, but the podium is obviously a bonus."

There is every prospect Mallya will now lose Fisichella for the rest of the season as Ferrari are expected to prise away the 36-year-old prior to his home race in Italy in a fortnight.

Luca Badoer's two performances as replacement for Felipe Massa have been so bad, it is inconceivable Ferrari will keep faith with their tester of 12 years with so much at stake in front of their fans.

Yet despite an Italian television company claiming before the race the deal was done, Mallya and Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali played down the speculation.

"Ferrari hasn't come to me, Fisi hasn't come to me, his manager hasn't come to me," insisted Mallya.

"This is all speculation, something I should not be commenting on at all because as far as I am concerned the proposal doesn't exist.

"Fisi is a very valuable member of my team and I'm sure he's very proud and pleased with his own performance today and the car that we have given him to drive."

As for Domenicali, he said: "Giancarlo is a driver that seems to be very fast, and he had a great race.

"But I cannot say whether the speculation is true or not."

As part of Massa's rehabilitation after his horrifying accident in the Hungarian Grand Prix that left him with a fractured skull, he is to undergo further medical tests in Miami on Monday at the hands of renowned neurosurgeon Steve Olvey.

Domenicali added: "I heard from Felipe after the race and he was very happy. He cheered with us.

"He is already in Miami, and tomorrow he will have his medical check."

Lewis Hamilton taken out by Alguersuari

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Lewis Hamilton admitted it was "just one of those days" after his Belgian Grand Prix was wrecked by Toro Rosso rookie Jaime Alguersuari.

The 19-year-old Spaniard crashed into Hamilton after the reigning world champion tried to avoid the accident that accounted for the championship leader in Jenson Button on lap one.

The Brawn GP driver was hit from behind by Romain Grosjean in his Renault just 40 seconds into the race on the approach into the Les Combes turn.

Following in behind, Alguersuari drove into the left-hand side of Hamilton's McLaren, punting the Briton into a tyre barrier.

The accident resulted in the retirement of all four cars, and a bitterly disappointing end to Hamilton's recent resurgence after his victory in Hungary and second place in Valencia.

"Some days when things go bad they go bad, and this was just one of those days," assessed Hamilton.

"I got a poor start, the anti-stall kicked in and I then tried to recover, but got sandwiched at the first corner and lost a bit of my front wing.

"When Grosjean spun Jenson around at turn five, everyone was trying to avoid them.

"So I slowed down to try and avoid the damage and got taken out by one of the drivers behind me who was trying to avoid the accident too.

"It was a disappointing day, but we'll come back and try to win this race next year."

Despite an investigation into the chaos by stewards after the race, they deemed both were just racing incidents, with no action taken.

Alguersuari, after what was only his third race, said: "These things happen in racing and you just have to accept it.

"At turn five Jenson spun and Hamilton had to move to the left to avoid him, moving onto the part of the track that I was on.

"We collided and my car was too damaged for me to continue. I just hope we can do better in the coming races."

Force India claims first ever pole position

Force India's Giancarlo Fisichella claimed pole position for Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix at Spa during a qualifying session full of surprises.

World Championship leader Jenson Button failed to make the top-10 shoot-out for the first time this season and the 29-year-old down in a miserable season-low 14th in his Brawn.

The best qualifier of the title contenders is Rubens Barrichello, fourth for Brawn.

Toyota's Jarno Trulli will be second on the grid, with BMW's Nick Heidfeld in third.

Fisichella - the man being touted to replace the hapless Luca Badoer at Ferrari - gave Force India their first F1 pole, although it remains to be seen how much fuel is in the car.

Fisichella, whose previous best grid slot this year was 13th, was unable to explain his performance.

"Pole position is amazing, fantastic,'' remarked the 36-year-old.

"I'm so happy and thanks to the team who have done a great job. It's a remarkable result.

"I've shown what I can do. This is one of my favourite circuits, but I didn't expect to be on pole, in particular considering the budget of our team.''

It is the veteran Italian's fourth pole of his career, and his first since Malaysia in 2006.

Force India are now on course to score their first point as they have yet to break their duck in 29 races since entering the sport.

The second BMW Sauber of Robert Kubica will start from fifth on the grid. Behind the Pole comes Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen, Timo Glock in his Toyota, and then the Red Bull duo of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber in eighth and ninth, with Williams' Nico Rosberg 10th.

The 15-minute middle session was not just a disaster for Button, but also for the McLaren duo of reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen.

After victory in Hungary and starting on pole last weekend for the European Grand Prix in Valencia, it was a return to McLaren's poor form from earlier in the year.

Hamilton starts 12th, with his car struggling in the twisty middle section of the track, whilst Kovalainen is 15th, his second worst qualifying display this season.

The McLarens were both beaten by Force India's Adrian Sutil, who occupies 11th on the grid, with Renault's Fernando Alonso another big-name casualty in Q2 as the double world champion starts 13th.

As for Badoer, he can consider himself out of a job following Sunday's race in the wake of another abysmal performance.

The 38-year-old replacement for the recuperating Felipe Massa will again start at the back of the grid, as he did last weekend on his Ferrari debut in Valencia.

Badoer ended the opening 20-minute Q1 in disgrace by breaking the rear suspension of his car in careering backwards into a tyre wall after passing Vettel on the approach to Les Combes.

Ahead of the Italian, likely to be replaced by Fisichella who was remarkably fastest at the end of Q1, the Toro Rossos of Sebastien Buemi and Jaime Alguersuari start 16th and 17th.

Williams' Kazuki Nakajima is down in 18th, both the team's and the Japanese driver's worst grid position of the year, with Renault's Romain Grosjean also struggling on his second outing as he is 19th.

Button offered a simple explanation for his poor display, conceding he "wasn't fast enough".

He added: "It is pretty disastrous for tomorrow really. It's going to make it very difficult.

"I didn't have any pace on the soft tyres and every time I hit the brakes, the rear would move. I did not have any confidence in the rear end.

"It's strange to be four or five tenths (of a second) off Rubens. Our cars are different, but they are not that different.''

Looking at his position, Hamilton remarked: "I went into qualifying nervous as hell. I didn't know where we were going to be.

"We knew we didn't have the downforce of the others. I'm losing so much time in the middle sector. There was nothing I could do, I was on the ragged edge.

"But we can have a little bit of fun with Kers from down there.

Abu Dhabi to stage first day-night race

Formula One history will be created later this year with the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to become the sport's first day-night race.

The start time for the inaugural event has been switched from 2pm to 5pm, and with sunset scheduled for 5.43pm, it will ensure the race starts in daylight and finishes at night.

Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management CEO Richard Cregan said: "The Yas Marina Circuit has been built from the outset to host day and night-time activities.

"Staging Formula One's first ever day-night race offers us the unique opportunity to demonstrate the circuit's in-built flexibility and state-of-the-art facilities.

"It has always been our intention to showcase to the world this spectacular venue, and this decision allows just that opportunity.

"It is the best of both worlds as spectators and television viewers will see the stunning architecture of the world's newest Formula One circuit during the afternoon sunlight and then experience what it is like under floodlights.

"We hope that everyone will be impressed by what they experience and see."

The system utilises the world's most advanced technology, with the 24 to 40-metre tall outfield floodlights providing horizontal lighting.

The smaller seven to 15-metre infield fixtures have a highly sophisticated vertical controllable beam designed specifically to provide a consistent daylight effect, as well as removing shadow and glare at driver level.

The lights will be on from the start of the race to ensure a seamless transition from daylight to dark.

Lewis Hamilton fastest in practice

Lewis Hamilton's recent resurgence continued on his favourite track as the reigning world champion topped practice ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix on Sunday.

Thankfully, after the first session was disrupted by rain that fell steadily for an hour, the black clouds lifted for a dry run in the afternoon.

With virtually every driver running for around 30 laps, the lead changed hands several times during the 90 minutes before Hamilton emerged in front.

After his victory in Hungary and second on Sunday in Valencia at the European Grand Prix, the 24-year-old is poised for a podium finish for a third successive race.

Hamilton topped the timesheets in his McLaren with a lap of one minute 47.201 seconds around the renowned 4.5-mile Spa circuit.

The unpredictability of the track resulted in the top-six places being filled by drivers from six different teams.

Toyota's Timo Glock was a surprising second quickest given his team's woes of late, just 0.016secs behind Hamilton, with Kimi Raikkonen third in his Ferrari, a mere 0.084secs adrift.

The Finn, though, did finish the session by being helped off the track by marshals after running onto the grass at the right-hand Fagnes turn.

Red Bull's Mark Webber, Renault rookie Romain Grosjean and Force India's Giancarlo Fisichella completed the top six, followed by the second Toyota of Jarno Trulli.

Sebastian Vettel, who sat out the first session to preserve engines after blowing two Renault powerplants in Valencia, finished 10th, completing 25 laps.

Of possible concern to Brawn GP is their duo of championship leader Jenson Button and team-mate Rubens Barrichello were 17th and 18th, both just under a second behind Hamilton.

Brawn had expressed confidence earlier this week they had cracked the tyre issues that had affected their running in cooler climes.

But if the evidence of today is anything to go by, it would appear that is far from the case, unless the duo were sandbagging.

No prizes for guessing who propped up the standings as Luca Badoer finished two seconds behind Hamilton in his Ferrari.

The 38-year-old, knowing he must show significant improvement on his calamitous display in Valencia, even stopped the session early on.

However, it was hardly of his own doing as his car lost its left-front wheel fairing, depositing it on the racing line, forcing race director Charlie Whiting to halt proceedings temporarily whilst it was retrieved.

In the morning, the capricious nature of the Ardennes region took hold as sunshine had been forecast, only for the rain to render the first session virtually irrelevant.

It was underlined by the fact eight seconds separated 10th-placed Badoer from Fisichella.

That was a clear indicator of those who had taken to the track when it was dry early on, and those who had clocked a time in the wet.

For the record, Trulli finished top with a time of 1:49.675, followed by Button and Fernando Alonso in his Renault.

Like Vettel, Hamilton was the only other driver not to post a time, primarily putting his feet up other than for four installation laps.

Times
01 L. Hamilton McLaren 1:47.201 29 laps
2 T. Glock Toyota 1:47.217 29 laps
3 K. Räikkönen Ferrari 1:47.285 26 laps
4 M. Webber Red Bull 1:47.329 31 laps
5 R. Grosjean Renault 1:47.333 34 laps
6 G. Fisichella Force India F1 1:47.506 27 laps
7 J. Trulli Toyota 1:47.559 33 laps
8 R. Kubica BMW 1:47.578 33 laps
9 J. Alguersuari Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:47.579 36 laps
10 S. Vettel Red Bull 1:47.602 25 laps
11 S. Buemi Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:47.702 38 laps
12 H. Kovalainen McLaren 1:47.743 33 laps
13 A. Sutil Force India F1 1:47.790 29 laps
14 F. Alonso Renault 1:47.862 30 laps
15 K. Nakajima Williams 1:47.961 32 laps
16 N. Heidfeld BMW 1:48.017 30 laps
17 J. Button Brawn GP 1:48.125 34 laps
18 R. Barrichello Brawn GP 1:48.130 37 laps
19 N. Rosberg Williams 1:48.360 29 laps
20 L. Badoer Ferrari 1:49.211 30 laps

Button worries over pace

Jenson Button fears suffering another dose of the qualifying blues on Saturday that could further undermine his Formula One world title hopes.

Button has struggled over one lap in the last four grands prix, and that has compromised his race, coming away with just 11 points in total from Britain, Germany, Hungary and Valencia.

Although Button is convinced the tyre temperature issues that have also plagued his Brawn GP recently have finally been resolved, the 29-year-old now has other concerns.

After finishing 17th in practice around the Spa circuit on Friday, just under a second off the pace set by Lewis Hamilton in his McLaren, a downbeat Button said: "I'm not 100% happy with the car at the moment.

"We definitely don't have a tyre temperature issue here. The tyres are working. They're very hot.

"I'm sure it's down to some of the things we've done to the car to help with that, but also the asphalt is quite abrasive.

"In fact, a lot of people are struggling in their long runs with overheating, so that is something to watch out for here.

"Overall our long-run pace is reasonably competitive, but we still have to work on our qualifying pace because we're not that strong over one lap.

"We're not on the pace of the Red Bulls and some of the other teams over one lap, whilst the balance of the car is also not great, so there is still a lot of work to do before we are competitive."

The likelihood is Button's lead over Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel, currently 20.5 and 25 points respectively, will be eroded this weekend.

Button added: "This is the perfect circuit for a Red Bull car, so we have to hope we can be as close as possible and nibble some more points off them.

"Obviously, this circuit is fun to drive. I just have to hope our car is this weekend because the circuit is not the best for it, but we'll do the best job with what we have."

Team principal Ross Brawn has also conceded the team have plenty of work ahead of them if Button and team-mate Rubens Barrichello are to have any hope of challenging at the front.

"We're not experiencing any issues with tyre temperatures so far which is positive, and it's good to see our hard work in this area starting to pay dividends," assessed Brawn.

"But there is still some way to go to maximise the set-up of the car to the requirements of both drivers, so it will be a busy hour of practice on Saturday morning to get ready for qualifying."

Raikkonen confident of podium spot

Kimi Raikkonen has set his sights on a hat-trick of podium finishes this weekend despite Ferrari's focus now firmly on 2010.

With the Maranello marque deciding recently both Formula One world titles were out of reach, the team opted to stop development on the current car and pour their resources into next year's model.

The hope is that by making an early start, unlike last season when Felipe Massa fought for the championship through to the final bend of the last race, Ferrari will return to the front again.

That has not prevented Raikkonen from upholding Ferrari's honour in the last two grands prix, finishing second and third in Hungary and Valencia.

The Finn now heads to Spa this weekend, scene of the Belgian Grand Prix where last season he crashed out in a stunning last-lap duel with Lewis Hamilton, determined to maintain his and Ferrari's upturn in fortunes.

"With the points we gained (in Valencia) we are still ahead of McLaren in the constructors' championship," remarked Raikkonen.

"This is our goal as a team, although it will be very difficult to reach, considering we stopped developing this car, concentrating on the one for the upcoming season.

"So the main goal is to maintain our standard of the last few races, which means we have to try to get on the podium again.

"I have always loved racing at Spa where I've won many times since I started my career in the smaller racing series.

"I really like driving here, although 44 laps might be not enough!

"Last year everything went up in smoke due to the rain at the end of the race and I ran into a wall. I had set my all on victory and I didn't have anything to lose.

"This year the situation is slightly different because we don't have a car able to compete at the highest performance level.

"But we'll give it our all - and more - for a good result."

Despite the continual speculation surrounding Raikkonen, that he will be out of F1 next year due to an apparent lack of enthusiasm, he appears to have regained his edge of late.

Certainly he departed Valencia in an upbeat mood, adding: "I really enjoy winning, but even third can give you some good feelings.

"We started the European GP from sixth on the starting grid, had a good start and we managed to gain another place on the podium.

"We could hardly have expected more. It was definitely one of my best weekends so far this year, together with those in Monaco and Budapest, from a technical point of view."

Red Bull not introducing KER

Red Bull have ruled out introducing their Kinetic Energy Recovery System during this weekend's Belgian GP, although they could use it later in the season.

Red Bull are one of a few teams who have KERS at their disposal but they are yet to actually us it during the course of this year's Championship.

However, with the next race being held at the Spa-Francorchamps, a perfect venue for KERS, there have been some questions about whether the team will finally make use of the device.

Team boss Christian Horner, though, feels its complications could outweigh its benefits and as therefore ruled it out.

"Spa is not so different to Silverstone and we had a strong car there, so to introduce KERS at this stage could only be disruptive," Horner said.

"We will make a decision for Monza after Spa. It would be the Renault/Red Bull KERS one that was developed at the beginning of the season. We will continue to look at it."

Rosberg aims podium spot

Nico Rosberg says it's only a matter of time before he claims Williams' first podium finish of the year.

The German finished Sunday's European Grand Prix in fifth place, extending his run of seven successive points-scoring results.

As yet, though, none have been in a top three despite him flirting with the podium in last five races.

"It was a good weekend for us. Again, the car performed really well which is good to see," said Rosberg.

"It's been consistent on every single track so far so I'm pleased with the way the team is working. In relation to other teams, we've done well on the development front as well.

"We should have been on the podium this race, but McLaren have made an even bigger jump than us which is frustrating, but we are always there and a podium should come soon."

Looking ahead to this weekend's Belgian GP, the Williams driver is confident of a good result believing the Spa-Francorchamps circuit will suit the characteristics of his FW31.

"Spa should be good for the team. It's a very high speed track, very different to Valencia, but our car goes really well everywhere," he said.

"This track, in particular, will suit our car because we have a strong aero package for the quick corners so I'm looking forward to it."

Both can win the Title - Nick Fry

Brawn GP chief executive Nick Fry believes both of his drivers are capable of winning this season's F1 crown after Rubens Barrichello posted a superb victory in the European Grand Prix.

Barrichello's Valencia triumph was not only his first win of the season, it was also his first since the 2004 Chinese Grand Prix, when driving for Ferrari.

The Brazilian was outclassed by team-mate Jenson Button at the start of the season, picking up a raft of minor podium placings while the Briton won six of the first seven races.

The 37-year-old's upturn in form has coincided with a slump for Button, who has finished off the podium at the last four races, picking up just 11 points in that period.

His lead over Barrichello in the title race is now 18 points with six races remaining, and Fry is backing both of his drivers to land the biggest prize come the end of the season.

"We're in a position now where both drivers have proven they can win," Fry told reporters in Valencia.

"Rubens has shown what he can do and Jenson's won six, so I wouldn't bet against either of them."

The Brawn cars have struggled for grip at circuits with a low track temperature this season, but intense heat in eastern Spain these past few days played into the team's hands around the marina-based street circuit.

Barrichello, however, was the only driver to capitalise on that, with a mistake in qualifying leaving Button fifth on the grid.

A poor start compounded the 29-year-old's woes, and it was all he could do to salvage seventh place at a circuit where overtaking opportunities are thin on the ground.

"The main problem was [Button's] grid position," Fry continued. "I don't think there was anything wrong with the speed of Jenson or the car, apart from people in front of him in the way, it's as simple as that."

He added: "The temperature here was clearly hot. We have to see if the changes we made here work at Spa [next weekend], which is a very different track.

"We've got some aerodynamic improvements coming along for next weekend, so I'd bet on both our drivers."

Barrichello, meanwhile, dedicated his victory to compatriot Felipe Massa, who is recovering at home in Brazil after suffering a life-threatening accident in qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix last month.

Barrichello played an unwitting role in the accident which befell the unfortunate Massa, a spring falling off his Brawn and bouncing up into Massa's helmet, leaving the Ferrari driver with a double skull fracture, from which he is expected to make a full recovery.

"This race was, for me, a little bit more emotional than normal," explained Barrichello.

"I never felt that it was my fault with the spring coming out of my car, and I never ever wished that that would happen to him.

"He's such a good friend and I wish him all the very best.

"I had two wishes, first of all was to wish that he is the same guy, which he is, and second, I wish he's the same driver, and I think he's going to be even tougher."

Rubens Barrichello claims European Grand Prix victory

An extraordinary pit-lane blunder by McLaren cost Lewis Hamilton a second successive victory as Brawn GP's Rubens Barrichello took the chequered flag at today's European Grand Prix in Valencia.

Pole-sitter Hamilton was leading the Brazilian veteran by around four seconds prior to his second stop on lap 37 but his afternoon came unstuck when McLaren's mechanics failed to have a new set of tyres ready.

The incident cost Hamilton around six seconds and allowed the hard-charging Barrichello through for his first victory since the 2004 Chinese Grand Prix.

A great day for Brawn was made better by Jenson Button's damage-limiting drive to seventh, ahead of his nearest rival in the drivers' standings heading into this weekend, Red Bull's Mark Webber, who finished outside the points in ninth.

Webber's team-mate Sebastian Vettel suffered an engine failure for the second day in succession to bring a premature end to his afternoon, and Brawn come away from Spain looking stronger than ever to claim both world titles.

Button's lead in the drivers' championship is now 18 points over Barrichello, while Webber is now 20.5 points back and Vettel 25. Brawn are 27.5 points clear of Red Bull in the constructors' championship.

Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen produced a solid drive to third place from sixth on the grid while McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen failed to deliver on his front-row start as he came home fourth.

Williams' Nico Rosberg produced a typically consistent drive to fifth ahead of Renault's Fernando Alonso, while BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica took eighth and the final point.

But the day belonged to Barrichello, who celebrated his 10th career win with characteristic emotion on the podium.

"It's been fantastic," said the veteran of 281 grands prix.

"It's been a weekend that I will never forget, especially because after five years, it's tough.

"Although you are pushing, there are some things that go through your mind - you want to do it for yourself, for your family and for your country."

Hamilton, meanwhile, refused to point the finger of blame at his team for the pit-lane error which cost him a shot at victory.

"We win and lose together," he said.

"We had a great team effort to get here, so we cannot at all take second place for grated, or be disappointed that we did not get a win.

"I still believe it was a tremendous effort, and these things happen."

At the start, Hamilton made a clean getaway from pole but further back Button suffered a miserable start.

Starting fifth on the grid, the world championship leader dropped to eighth after struggling through the first couple of corners, while a lunge on Alonso failed to come off further round the lap.

Button's tribulations in the pack prompted Webber to come on the team radio claiming the Briton had cut a chicane, and on lap five Webber swept past him for eighth after Button's team told him to give up the place to avoid a penalty.

Vettel's doomed afternoon suffered its first setback on lap 15 when a problem the Red Bull fuel rig at his first stop meant no fuel went into his car and he had to complete another lap at a slow pace before finally refuelling and emerging down in 15th place.

The German's race lasted just another eight laps, however, his Renault engine letting go once again following its failure in practice yesterday.

After running third early on, Barrichello was on the move on lap 20, the Brazilian stopping four laps later than Kovalainen and getting ahead of the Finn.

And second became first on lap 37 when Hamilton suffered his setback in the pit lane.

All appeared calm when the 24-year-old pulled into his pit box as fuel went in and his used tyres came off, but it quickly became clear there were no fresh tyres to go on and the Briton lost crucial seconds while a set was brought out and the warmers removed.

Barrichello, who had been on the pace all weekend as his Brawn thrived in the sweltering Spanish heat, duly swept through to take a comfortable lead, which he held after his second pit stop and all the way to the flag, his margin of victory over Hamilton just under four seconds.

Elsewhere, It was another bad day for stand-in Ferrari driver Luca Badoer, who suffered a spin and a drive-through penalty for crossing the pit-lane exit line on his way to 17th and last of the finishers on the track.

French debutant Romain Grosjean also suffered a spin in the Renault but was rather more impressive than Badoer on his way to 15th place at the flag.

Suzuka to host 2010 Japanese GP

The Japanese Grand Prix will be held at Suzuka for the next three years after F1's commercial rights holder Bernie Ecclestone signed a new contract with the circuit's owners in Valencia on Sunday.

The deal will see Suzuka fill the gap left by Fuji Speedway's withdrawal from the 2010 calendar while continuing to honour its existing agreement to stage the event both this season and in 2011.

A spokesman for Hiroshi Oshima, president of the Mobilityland Corporation which operates the Suzuka circuit, told reporters in Valencia: "Mr Oshima and Mr Ecclestone have successfully concluded a contract for 2010.

"That means of course that because of the pre-arrangement, Suzuka will have [the race for] three years in a row to 2011."

Oshima added: "We are delighted that the Suzuka Circuit will now safeguard one of the most important national sporting events by playing host to the Japanese Grand prix for the next three years."

The Honda-owned Suzuka track staged the Japanese GP for 20 years from 1987 to 2006 after which the race moved to the Toyota-backed Fuji Speedway for 2007 and 2008.

Bosses of the two circuits subsequently agreed to alternate the race on an annual basis from this season but Fuji pulled out of the deal earlier this year, Toyota citing the global financial crisis for its decision.

Ecclestone added: "I have done, and will continue to do, everything to make the Japanese Grand Prix successful."

Lewis Hamilton on Pole Position

Lewis Hamilton's 2009 renaissance continued on Saturday as he powered to his first pole position of the season in Valencia.

The McLaren driver took top spot for Sunday's European Grand Prix with a blistering lap just four minutes into the top-10 qualifying shoot-out, his time of one minute 39.498 seconds enough to see off the last-ditch efforts of his rivals.

Heikki Kovalainen ensured McLaren celebrated their first one-two start since Hungary last year as he completed the second row ahead of Brawn GP's Ruben Barrichello. Championship leader Jenson Button will start fifth in the other Brawn.

Hamilton, unlike so many occasions this year, breezed through Q1 and Q2 with single-lap efforts, thus preserving his tyres for what is set to be a hot and punishing afternoon's racing in the eastern Spanish port city tomorrow.

"We haven't seen this level of performance for a long time," Hamilton said.

"Last year, I was able to do only one run in easy qualifying session but, this year, we've had to use every second of the sessions to get through.

"My pole position lap was good, but there should be a little more time in the car, and hopefully we can extract that tomorrow."

Hamilton's pace was all the more impressive bearing in mind he missed almost all of Friday's second practice session with a damaged front wing, but the arrival of parts from the team's factory overnight paved the way for the 24-year-old to claim his first pole since China last year.

"I missed a whole session, a good hour and 20 minutes, so in terms of dialling in the car I had a lot of pressure on me this morning," he continued.

"Fortunately we did quite a good job, it wasn't perfect, but there's still always improvements you can make."

The under-pressure Kovalainen capped a perfect afternoon for McLaren by posting a lap less than a tenth off the pace of Hamilton to snatch second.

"Congratulations to Heikki, he did a fantastic job - it's been very close between us all weekend, so this is great to see," Hamilton added.

"We've got the front row to ourselves - and that's something we've all wanted for a very long time."

For his part, Kovalainen was a relieved man after delivering far and away his strongest qualifying display of the season.

The Finn's coveted seat is believed to be under threat for 2010 after failing to impress since arriving from Renault last season, and this result was the shot in the arm his campaign desperately needed.

"It's a long time since I've been in this kind of position," Kovalainen said.

"It's been a tough beginning to the season.

"We've been focusing very hard on understanding all the problems, moving forwards, and the team has done a fantastic job to improve our car to the point where we can compete for pole."

It might have been better for Kovalainen had he not pushed a little too hard on his final run, a slight error in the final sector of the lap seeing him fail to beat Hamilton's time by a fraction.

McLaren's joy came very much at the expense of the title-chasing Brawn drivers, who performed well in the searing Valencia heat.

Button was the quickest driver in Q1 and Barrichello led the way in Q2, but both lost out to the McLarens when it really mattered.

Nevertheless, Barrichello was happy with his afternoon's work.

"It was an excellent job from the team," said the Brazilian. "The tyres are working. In Hungary they were not, but here they are working quite well. The car is in good shape."

Button, who is protecting an 18.5-point lead over Red Bull's Mark Webber in the drivers' standings with seven races remaining, was less happy, admitting an error on his best lap had cost him time.

"As I exited turn five over the kerb, I shifted for third gear but shifted to there and straight to fourth as well, I shifted two gears," he said.

"It cost me quite a bit of time, about two and a half tenths, so that was a little bit frustrating."

Elsewhere, Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel salvaged fourth after bouncing back from a blown engine in practice earlier in the morning, although team-mate Webber could manage only ninth.

Ferrari stand-in driver Luca Badoer continued to struggle at the wrong end of the grid as he qualified 20th and last, while Renault new boy Romain Grosjean continued to impress by taking 14th.

Luca Badoer racing in pits

Ferrari stand-in driver Luca Badoer quickly found himself on the wrong side of the race stewards as his return to Formula One racing got off to an inauspicious start in Valencia on Friday.

Back in action at a race meeting for the first time in a decade, Badoer had clearly forgotten how to operate the speed-limiter button on his steering wheel as he racked up four separate penalties for driving too fast in the pit lane during today's practice sessions for Sunday's European Grand Prix.

The 38-year-old Italian was hit with fines totalling 5,400 euros and issued with a reprimand for his repeated offending, which soured a day long dreamt of by the veteran Ferrari test driver.

Badoer's got the nod for the second Ferrari seat in the wake of the fractured skull suffered by Felipe Massa in Hungary last month, and Michael Schumacher's subsequent withdrawal as the Brazilian's replacement due to a neck injury.

His efforts on the track on Friday were not nearly as rapid as his pit-lane exploits, 18th place in the quicker second session his reward at the end of a day spent trying to get to grips with Ferrari's F60, which he has not driven for several months due to the in-season testing ban.

Badoer, who contested 48 grands prix between 1993 and 1999 without scoring a point, ended today 1.3 seconds off the pace of his world champion team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, but declared himself satisfied with the result after so long away.

"I am happy with the way things went today," said Badoer, who revealed on Thursday he has been told he will continue in his stand-in role until Massa is ready to return.

"I expected a difficult day and so it was. It was vital that I did not make any serious mistakes so that I could get through the programme we had established.

"Now we can begin work on the car set-up to try and adapt it to my driving style.

"The team have not set me any specific goal for this weekend and I am pleased about that consideration because it is important I return to having full confidence in the car and with the world of the grand prix weekend."

He added: "We have to improve a lot and we have to work a lot, but considering the situation - without driving for eight months and it is the first time for me on this track - I am very happy."

Badoer also revealed that the dream of being an F1 driver with Ferrari had now been replaced by the reality of his situation.

"Until yesterday night I was dreaming and flying and I was very happy, but this morning I went down to the floor," he said.

"Now, I'm here to work. So I was very concentrated, I worked a lot with my engineer and this is the future now.

"The dream is finished - now we need the results."

Mark Webber fight for Survival

Red Bull Racing's Mark Webber has vowed to "fight like hell" in Sunday's European Grand Prix after struggling for pace in Saturday's qualifying session in Valencia.

The Australian will line up ninth on the starting grid after failing to dial his car in to the tricky 25-turn Spanish street circuit.

Webber's disappointment will be all the more keenly felt with team-mate Sebastian Vettel taking fourth on the grid, while title rival Jenson Button, who Webber trails by 18.5 points in the drivers' standings - will line up fifth.

"We expected to have a tough qualifying session today and it turned out to be the case," Webber admitted.

"We thought we would be top six or top eight, so it's not been the best day for us. It's one of our worst qualifying sessions in a long time, but let's see how we go on from here.

"We'll fight like hell as normal, Red Bull knows how to do that.

"It was always going to be damage limitation."

Webber nevertheless believes that even given a perfect lap he could only have fared marginally better given his fuel load for the race.

"I would like to be, given the fuel load I have, only one row further up - there's a tenth of a second there," he said.

"We knew it was going to be tough to be really competitive in Q3 so I elected to put a bit of fuel in and we'll see what we can get for the back end of the race tomorrow.

"It's not Spa, it's not Silverstone and it's not Barcelona - it's a different type of track, it's proving to be a difficult one for us.

"We have long straights but there's no fast corners."

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner conceded it was frustrating for Webber to be starting so far back but shared the 32-year-old's optimism for the race.

He said: "One tenth of a second for Mark would have made a big difference to his grid position - it would have been the difference between sixth and ninth - but with a bit more fuel in hopefully he can have a good run from there tomorrow."

Alonso scorches to the fastest time

Fernando Alonso concedes Renault remain some way from winning a grand prix on pace alone despite topping the timesheets in Friday's practice session for the European Grand Prix.

The two-time world champion set the pace in front of his home crowd in Valencia but has no doubt the only way he will take a victory this season will be as a result of mistakes by his rivals.

"I think we need some help from the others," he said.

"It is the same as last year in Singapore, where there was some help from the safety car. There was a lucky moment and I took the benefit.

"And then in Fuji, at the start, the first four cars went off the track at turn one, so without those things I could not win any races also last year.

"This year is more or less the same. We still need couple of tenths to be able to win a grand prix - maybe three or four tenths, to be competitive enough to win.

"But we are just behind that first group, so if they make mistakes, maybe we can to take the opportunity."

Alonso's day in the scorching Valencia sunshine did not run altogether smoothly, however, a heavy accident with BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld in the second session blotting his copy book.

The Spaniard missed his braking point and slammed into Heidfeld in the final corner, pitching the German's car into the air.

It was a wild moment which Heidfeld branded "plain stupid" on the team radio, but Alonso, who avoided punishment after being summoned by the stewards to explain himself, felt it was just a normal tangle.

When asked whether he had discussed the accident with Heidfeld, Alonso replied: "We met each other in the stewards' room. He was coming in and we shook hands and we talked.

"It was a racing incident. This is motorsport."

Despite his indiscretion, Alonso was happy to reflect on a job well done and played down allegations his pace was the result of a light fuel load.

"Sometimes you drop fuel at the end or whatever and you put in a nice lap at the end, but this was a bit better than that," he said.

"We were always in the top three, top two, in any condition, any tyre, any fuel load. So this was the best thing for us - the car seems competitive in all conditions."

Rubens Barrichello leading the way

Rubens Barrichello set the pace in the opening practice session for this weekend's European Grand Prix in Valencia.

The Brawn GP driver set a best time of one minute 42.460 seconds to head the pack by almost two tenths from McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen.

Lewis Hamilton, bidding for a repeat of his victory in Hungary last month, was third, as McLaren again underlined their return to form following a run of miserable results.

Championship leader Jenson Button finished six tenths of a second down on team-mate Barrichello having set the same number of laps, but generally the signs were good for Brawn, who are bidding to overcome a problem with tyre warming that has plagued them at the last three races.

Temperatures should not be a problem in sunny Valencia, however, with this morning's session ending with a track temperature approaching 40 degrees Celsius.

Button did complain of both understeer and oversteer during the 90-minute session and will be working hard to fine-tune the car this afternoon, while Barrichello suffered late drama when his car got stuck in gear, although the problem was not thought to be serious.

The title-chasing Red Bull pair of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber were fifth and eighth respectively, while Adrian Sutil did his bit to remind everyone the Force India car is now a package to be reckoned with in the midfield as he finished sixth.

It was a low-key session for grand prix returnee Luca Badoer, who finished 20th and last, 3.380secs off the pace of Barrichello and almost 2.5secs down on Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, who finished in 10th.

Badoer, 38, revealed yesterday he expects to be in the second Ferrari for the remainder of the season as the replacement for the convalescing Felipe Massa, but better will be needed if he is to convince his bosses at Maranello of his worth.

It was a marginally better session for Renault new boy Romain Grosjean, whose first competitive outing at the wheel of the R29 ended with a solid 17th place.

Another relative newcomer, Toro Rosso's Jaime Alguersuari, who made his grand prix debut last month in Hungary, enjoyed a morale-boosting session, coming home in 13th, two places behind his equally impressive team-mate, Sebastien Buemi.

Kazuki Nakajima enjoyed a rare victory over Williams team-mate and Friday practice specialist Nico Rosberg, the Japanese driver taking seventh place while Rosberg could manage only 14th.

Elsewhere, Renault's Fernando Alonso claimed sixth place in front of his adoring home crowd, while BMW Sauber's latest round of revisions to the F109 failed to deliver anything better than 12th place for Robert Kubica and 15th for Nick Heidfeld.

But the picture looks even more bleak for Toyota, who, with their back-row qualifying performance in Monaco still fresh in the mind, again looked out of sorts on a street circuit, Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock finishing 18th and 19th respectively.

Vettel extends contract with Red Bull

Sebastian Vettel has signed a contract extension with Red Bull Racing until at least the end of the 2011 season.

The new agreement also contains an option for the 22-year-old German to continue with the Milton Keynes-based squad for 2012.

Vettel is a graduate of the Red Bull Junior Team and has already won three grands prix in a 36-race career.

He made his debut in a one-off outing for BMW Sauber at the 2007 United States Grand Prix, where he became the youngest points scorer in the history of the sport by coming home in eighth.

A year later Vettel broke another record, becoming the youngest grand prix winner when he took the chequered flag at Monza for Toro Rosso.

Vettel's 2009 season has been equally impressive. He claimed Red Bull's first win at the Chinese Grand Prix in April and followed that up with a crushing victory at Silverstone in June.

He lies third in the 2009 drivers' standings, 4.5 points behind team-mate Mark Webber, who extended his contract for a further season last month, and 23 points behind championship leader Jenson Button.

Romain Grosjean starts working with Alonso

Renault new boy Romain Grosjean insists being paired alongside two-time world champion Fernando Alonso at the French team will be a help rather than a hindrance to his Formula One career.

The 23-year-old Frenchman has been given the nod to make his grand prix debut as the replacement for Nelson Piquet, who has been axed after failing to score a point after 10 rounds of the 2009 season.

Grosjean is sure to be tested to the full at the tricky, 25-turn Valencia street circuit which hosts the European Grand Prix this weekend, but is adamant the influence of Alonso can be a positive one as he gets to grips with the R29.

"There is two sides," he said. "There is the side that maybe Fernando is the best driver on the grid, so trying to beat him will be very difficult. "But on the other side I think Fernando is such a good driver that working with him is a really good experience for me, and is maybe the best team-mate for me to start with."

Grosjean, with two victories to his name in the GP2 series this season, is keyed up for his grand prix debut but is refusing to make any predictions ahead of qualifying and the race. "At the moment I'm more excited than nervous - I'm trying to take it with a lot of pleasure," he continued.

"It's a new challenge, so I come here with no objective for the race weekend. "I won't say I want to finish in the top 10 or whatever, I think it would be idiotic to say anything like this.

"I will just try not to do any big mistakes and take a lot of pleasure in the car.

"If I can get close to Fernando, normally I should be not far from the points.

"I want to write a good story with Renault. We both want to get to the top." Spaniard Alonso has meanwhile revealed that he and his team were never in any doubt they would be cleared to race this weekend.

Renault were originally banned from the event after their mechanics allowed Alonso to leave the pit lane with a loose wheel at the Hungarian Grand Prix, but victory in a subsequent appeal ensured the team would be present in Valencia after all.

"I thought the penalty was too hard on us so I was confident that at the end everything [would be] clear for us. I think the team was optimistic on that," said Alonso. "In our heads we were 100% racing in Valencia."

Heidfeld and Kubica stunned after their team withdrawl

BMW Sauber drivers Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica have spoken of their shock at the company's decision to leave Formula One at the end of the season.

This weekend's European Grand Prix in Valencia will be the first since the German manufacturer made the announcement last month, citing "current developments in motorsport" for its decision.

The impending exit has left the future of the team's drivers and hundreds of employees at bases in Hinwil and Munich up in the air, and Kubica, who claimed BMW's maiden victory in Canada last year, admitted the news had come out of the blue.

"It was a shock decision, an unexpected one," said Kubica, who revealed he read about the withdrawal online before having it confirmed to him by the team.

"I was never expecting such a big decision."

It is hoped a rescue bid will see the existing operation taken over - as was the case when Honda's withdrawal over the winter gave way to Brawn GP - but a deal to safeguard jobs remains a some way off.

"Everybody's still a bit worried about their future," Kubica continued. "I hope they will find a good way out of it and we will continue.

"We have a lot of good people and they deserve a better situation than we have now."

After challenging for podiums and victories over the past two seasons, 2009 has been a nightmare year for BMW, with just a total of eight points won after 10 rounds.

It is all a far cry from a year ago when Kubica emerged as an outsider for the drivers' title, and the Pole believes the decision might not have been taken had the team still been at the sharp end of the grid.

"I think it would have been a completely different situation," he admitted.

"I assume if we were first in the championship, or second, fighting for wins, we would not have this kind of problem."

Kubica also questioned the timing of the announcement, saying: "It is strange as there are still seven races to go and I assume that motivation might be difficult to get.

"Normally you would try to keep your team as smooth as possible without any problems in the season, and now we have this big topic which is not ideal."

Heidfeld, meanwhile, felt BMW had been guilty of making a snap decision based solely on the bad results of recent times.

"The feeling and feedback I always had was that we were safe and secure for the future, that's why it was a surprise," he said.

"I think it was quite a short-term decision.

"BMW pulling out is a bad decision for everybody involved at Hinwil and Munich."

However, he added the team are committed to bowing in style and revealed upgrades to the car would be rolled out for this weekend's race and again in Singapore next month.

"BMW wants to leave on a high," he continued. "They want to turn things around and not leave with the season we have had so far.

"We want to show what we are capable of."

While Kubica is expected to be snapped up by an established team next season - with Renault reportedly in the frame - the future of 32-year-old Heidfeld is less certain, although the man himself is adamant he will stick around for an 11th season at the top level.

"I feel as confident as before," he revealed. "It was not certain that I would be with BMW next year, so I was already in talks with other teams before the decision was made public."

Jenson Button still leading the pack

Do not be surprised to see Jenson Button looking to the skies in Valencia this weekend, willing the sweltering Spanish sun to do its bit to aid his title bid.

Feeling the heat is normally the last thing a world championship leader wants with seven races remaining, but for Button, the temperature gauge just cannot go high enough right now.

The way things are going, if the Brawn GP driver hopes to covert his stunning early-season form into a maiden world title, the elements are going to have to turn markedly in his favour.

Winning six of seven races at the start of 2009 briefly elevated Button to the elite group of men for whom winning became such a habit that it prompted mutterings of disquiet from some uncharitable souls who felt the show was being spoiled by one man's dominance.

How suddenly all that has changed.

No wins and a total of just nine points has been Button's haul from the last three grands prix, underlining once again the truly unpredictable nature of the 2009 season.

Button was at the peak of his powers when the F1 show arrived at Silverstone for his home grand prix in June, and it was there, ironically, that the chinks in Brawn GP's armoury started to show.

The BGP 001 clearly was unhappy in cooler temperatures, highlighted by a typically underwhelming summer day in rural Northamptonshire, while the same pattern emerged at the next race at the Nurburgring, cooler track conditions again counting against the Brawns as Button again finished off the podium.

Brawn's problem is tyre temperature - or a lack of it.

Unlike many of their rivals, the Brawn's optimum tyre performance zone is within a very high temperature range.

When it's cool, the tyres struggle to work at their best. The statistics do not lie.

At every race bar one this season, Button has claimed victory when the track temperature has been above 30 degrees Celsius.

Only the last race at the Hungaroring bucked that trend, although the team's performance that weekend was skewed by the spring failure on Rubens Barrichello's car which affected the qualifying sessions of both drivers - and had significantly worse consequences for the unfortunate Felipe Massa.

Tyre problems nevertheless were an issue for the Brawns come race day, but the poor qualifying effort had already as good as ruined the chances of both drivers.

Better should therefore be expected in steamy Valencia. With the air temperature set to be above 30 degrees all weekend, track temperatures should soar.

Allowing for trouble-free practice and qualifying sessions, this weekend could well see a return to form for Button just at the point his title lead is beginning to look fragile. Button's dip in form has coincided with a spike for the Red Bull team, for whom Mark Webber has overhauled team-mate Sebastian Vettel to become the 'point man' in the battle to catch the Briton.

In the same period that Button has scored those nine points, Webber has amassed 24 - six more than his team-mate - to close to within 18.5 points of the championship leader.

The facts of the matter are not lost on Button, who recently conceded that if Webber maintains the current rate at which he is eating into his lead, the Red Bull man will have overhauled him by the time the teams leave Singapore on September 27.

A solution to Brawn's woes could yet be found by the technical department, which wheeled out a series of revisions to the car for the last round in Hungary. Their struggles with tyre wear in that race could be down to these changes, and it is a guarantee that wily team principal Ross Brawn - a man too long in the tooth in F1 terms to stay baffled by a handling problem for too long - will have used the four-week break since the last round to get to the bottom of the problem.

A two-week factory shutdown in the middle of the summer break will have been an unwelcome hindrance to Brawn's bid to return to the front, but Button revealed the there has been no let up in their efforts, saying: "There's been a lot of work going on at the factory following our shutdown and with the cars at the front being so close at the moment, it will be an interesting weekend."

But, more importantly, will it be a hot one, Jenson?

Badoer aiming to finish the race

Luca Badoer is refusing to set himself any lofty targets for his comeback race at this weekend's European Grand Prix at Valencia.

The 38-year-old Italian will realise a dream in Friday's first practice session at the street circuit when he gets behind the wheel of a Ferrari as a race driver for the first time.

Badoer's chance to impress came in the wake of the fractured skull suffered by Felipe Massa in qualifying for last month's Hungarian Grand Prix, and Michael Schumacher's subsequent withdrawal as the Brazilian's replacement due to a neck injury.

While Badoer has only been confirmed as Massa's replacement for this weekend's race, it stands to reason that should he bring the car home well up the order come Sunday afternoon, he could well retain the seat for the rest of the campaign.

Two days behind the wheel of Ferrari's F60 for promotional purposes earlier this week was sufficient to whet Badoer's appetite ahead of his first grand prix since Suzuka 1999.

On the grid 10 years ago were the likes of Schumacher, Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve, Jean Alesi and Mika Hakkinen, and Badoer is now ready to mix it with a new generation of grand prix stars.

"These 200 kilometres were absolutely insignificant from a technical point of view, but they allowed me to get to know the car again," Badoer said of the two-day session at Ferrari's private test facility at Fiorano.

"I have a good impression and it's obvious that there's a difficult task waiting for me at Valencia: the first race will help me to get back into the rhythm of a Formula 1 weekend. I haven't set myself any goals, just to end the race."

While Schumacher will not be driving this weekend, he will be with Ferrari in his usual consultancy capacity, and Badoer is looking forward to picking the brains of the seven-time champion, with whom he has formed a strong bond during 12 year's as the Scuderia's test driver.

"I'm glad that Michael will be with the team, I'm sure he can give me some important tips," Badoer continued.

"Over the last days we've spoken very often and we even trained together when he was still trying to get ready to race.

"I was really sad, because I know how much he would have liked it. Although I am now able to make my dream come true, I am his friend, his admirer and his fan."

Badoer, who lost out to Mika Salo when it came to Ferrari selecting their replacement for Schumacher after the German suffered a broken leg in the 1999 season, is also confident of working well alongside regular driver Kimi Raikkonen.

Badoer said: "We've got an excellent relationship and I'm sure that we'll work very well together as team-mates.

"He's got his character, but that's nothing new. I feel very good when we're together."