Sauber drivers Felipe Massa and Jacques Villeneuve finished first and 18th respectively after today's first practice sessions for the PETRONAS Malaysian Grand Prix.

Jacques Villeneuve: "I spent a lot of time checking out the set-up, and we made some progress. On the long runs we need to do more work for the race and we need to find some more speed."

Felipe Massa: "At the moment we are not 100% sure where we are, and this was just a Friday, but it's encouraging. We still have a lot more work to do to improve the car and consistency on long runs, but right from the first time I drove the C24 I knew we had a car that can fight for points. I lost probably four-tenths of a second on my quick lap because I had David Coulthard ahead for two corners, then when I overtook him I locked my brakes and lost some time in the next corner. So, overall, I'm happy with the way things are going and the start we've made to the weekend."

Peter Sauber (Team Principal): "This was a good test day for us, and of course it is always gratifying when you finish a session fastest. What was important is that we completed our programme, with both cars. Felipe and Jacques ran different tyre specifications and fuel loads at different times, so the gap between them is not representative. We are satisfied with what we have learned today, and will use that to go faster still tomorrow."