Trouble at the top?

They're top of the pile, but Spain's provisional front row – Jarno Trulli and Fernando Alonso – might be nursing car problems. Trulli said his Toyota developed a 'problem with the engine' in pre-qualifying practice, while Alonso – in the race winning Renault – also grappled with a 'little problem.' "'It's not anything special,'' the Spaniard downplayed, ''and we've sorted it out now. Everything is fine.''

Also concerned is Kimi Raikkonen, who might have snared top spot if not for a mistake in Saturday qualifying. Last time out, at Imola, the Finn's McLaren broke down – a CV joint failure – whilst leading.

''We do need to improve in that area,'' said the 25-year-old when asked about reliability. At least we seem to have the speed now.''