It forced the championship leaders to bowl and field with a slippery ball.

The championship leader starts at the back of the grid and the person who is last in the championship starts at the front.

Massa clinched pole position with a time of 1:38.989, and was joined on the front row by championship leader, Hamilton.

The Austrian championship leader was finding overtaking a very difficult prospect indeed.

No resting on his laurels for the current world champion and championship leader.

The championship leader and the last race victor, Michael Schumacher, could only set the third fastest time after suffering with an eye irritation throughout the session.

That he did fourteen laps later, but he had been unable to exploit his lighter car and rejoined nearly nine seconds behind the championship leader.

Loeb eventually finished 30.9sec adrift, and lies four points away from the championship leader in the race for the drivers' world title.

The championship leader immediately attacked, going around the outside into the Turn 11/12/13 complex and nosing ahead.

A victory that proved the strength of the current championship leader.