Sauber Petronas drivers Giancarlo Fisichella and Felipe Massa finished 2nd and 10th respectively after today's first practice sessions for the British Grand Prix.

Giancarlo Fisichella: "I am very pleased, as we have taken a big step forward. The team has done a fantastic job, and if you look what we have achieved with the car since Melbourne it is excellent. This step here in Silverstone is probably the biggest of them all. The car is very well balanced and stable, and I was able to do a very good lap time. I am really, really optimistic, even though my engine problem this morning means that I will lose 10 grid places tomorrow afternoon. The same thing happened at Nurburgring, and we still scored points there, so I'm really looking forward to the race."

Felipe Massa: "Honestly, I am very happy with my lap time. I used my new tyres early in the session to do a long run, so my lap was achieved on old rubber whereas Giancarlo used his new tyres at the end. The car is well balanced, very consistent and very stable, and I am feeling very optimistic. It is great to know we have such a competitive car."

Peter Sauber (Team Principal): "All our efforts of the past few weeks have paid off and we have taken a clear step forward with the new rear bodywork. Giancarlo's excellent time is a thank-you to everybody in the team, particularly all the people working back in the factory at Hinwil who have contributed so much to this result."