Brazil

A1 Team Brasil will line up on the second row of the grid for tomorrow's A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Australia, sprint race, after Nelson Piquet Jr qualified in fourth place for the team in today's four-part qualifying session. It was a frustrating session for the Brazilian squad after Nelson was only able to complete one clean lap on new tyres.

The team suffered some suspension problems on Friday afternoon, the cause of which was discovered after the final practice session. Unfortunately, the same suspension problem was found during this morning's one-hour final official practice. The team worked hard to fix the problem to allow Nelson the opportunity of more testing, and with that completed Nelson rejoined the session fifteen minutes before the end and immediately set the quickest time, with a lap of 1:19.476, which remained unbeaten. He managed to complete a total of 20 laps in the hour.

This afternoon's qualifying proved a little tricky for Team Brasil. The team could only run two of the four sessions on new tyres and therefore it was vital to get perfect laps both times. The first of these laps went well on lap two, with Team Brasil up to third overall behind France and Switzerland. However, the team suffered bad luck on the second of the fast laps, run in the fourth session. Nelson got stuck in bad traffic and was held up for a lengthy period by the Team Austria entry. At the end of the four-part session Team Brasil ended up in fourth position.

Nelson Piquet Jr: "Qualifying today was difficult. It was getting better, I did a good lap on new tyres in the second session and by the third session when we had old tyres again I was actually pleased with our time. Then in the final session, when I was on new tyres and was going for my best time I got stuck in huge traffic. I don't know what Team Austria was doing on the track, but they were so slow and I lost so much time and that was it. We still managed fourth in the end but it's a pity really. It's difficult to overtake on this circuit but I will just try my hardest tomorrow. The races are going to be tough. The tyres will get bad quickly and there will be a lot of drivers going sideways I think."

Emerson Fittipaldi: "It was difficult for Nelson today. He got traffic on his second lap with new tyres and Team Austria disturbed his lap badly, which meant he only had one lap on new tyres. We are still happy to be on the second row in these circumstances though. I think tomorrow if Nelson gets a really good start, he can do exactly what France did in Estoril, and be in front by the first corner."

New Zealand

The New Zealand team will be alongside arch-rival Australia well back in the pack for tomorrow's opening Sprint Race in the A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Australia.

Black Beauty driver Jonny Reid fell progressively off the pace after a strong opening to the weekend's racing at Eastern Creek, Sydney to qualify 14 th, one place behind the Aussies.

Reid, who was 5th and 6th fastest in Friday's two practice sessions, dropped a few spots to 9th fastest in Saturday morning's third and final practice session.

He was a superb 3rd after the first of the four qualifying segments, but slipped down the table to 8th, 9th and finally 14th when his top two times were added together. Amazingly, it is the third time in as many rounds that New Zealand has qualified 14th.

The 22-year-old Reid was distraught with his final position and was at a loss to explain why he couldn't keep pace as other teams improved around him.

"I'm disappointed because this is practically a home circuit, I know it well and yet we're out there looking mediocre," Reid said.

A1 Team.NZL chief executive Bob McMurray said the team is doing a wealth of head scratching because they just don't believe Reid is a second a lap slower than the frontrunners at one of his favourite circuits.

"We've got a problem," McMurray said, "and we're going to work extremely hard tonight to find out what it is."

Reid says it will be difficult for him to repeat his performance in Germany two rounds ago when he shot to 4th in the opening Sprint Race after qualifying 14th.

"It's a narrow little circuit so it's going to be tough to make up that sort of ground without plenty of carnage ahead of me," he said. "But I'll certainly be giving it everything I've got because I'm thriving on the encouragement I'm getting here.

"I have lots of family and good close friends in the crowd, plus there's lots of Kiwi fans waving flags and showing their support. I want to do well for their sake as much as anything."

A1 Series leader France continued their hot form to take pole position and Portugal had their best run of the season to qualify in second place, ahead of Switzerland and Brazil.

Despite racing outside of Europe for the first time European teams were the pacesetters, filling five of the top six places and eight of the first 12 spots.

South Africa