• German Grand Prix - Qualifying

Kubica happy with seventh

Robert Kubica is expecting a tough race on Sunday © Getty Images

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• Race:
• German Grand Prix

• Championship:
• FIA Formula One World Championship

• Drivers:
• Robert Kubica

• Teams:
• Renault

Robert Kubica said he was happy to be seventh on the grid for the German Grand Prix as he did not expect to be any higher.

The Pole, who has impressed with Renault this season, was held up on his final lap but admitted that it would not have made a difference.

"I am reasonably happy to be seventh on the grid and I think that, for now, we have to realise that we could not have qualified any higher than this. My lap could have been better, because I was held up by a Red Bull in the final sector, but I don't think it would have changed my position.

"As for tomorrow's race, we saw in Silverstone that anything is possible but we need a good start and a good first lap. We hope that our race pace will be strong, too, but we saw today that the gap to the teams in front is pretty big so I'm expecting a tough afternoon."

Team boss Eric Boullier also confessed himself satisfied with his drivers' efforts against teams running with technological advantages such as F-ducts and blown diffusers.

"I am pretty pleased with our qualifying performance today, considering that all of the teams ahead of us - and some behind - are running with the F-duct," said Boullier. "It's good to be the leading team without that system, and particularly nice to have Robert ahead of the two Mercedes - although he could have gone quicker had he not hit traffic on his fastest lap. Of course, our ambitions are greater than P7, but this was a good result today."

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