"The car was okay today with only some small handling problems," Salo remarked in a press release. "My best time came on the first run when the car was at its best.

"We found it difficult to balance the car after that - we came close a couple of times, but couldn't quite get there. I am quite happy with 10th place though. We are now back to business after Canada."

McNish was also pleased with his position after working hard to improve the car all weekend. "Not a bad result. From a balance point the car was better again in comparison to both yesterday and this morning's sessions," he commented.

"We had some intermittent problems with the electronics, which we need to work on before the race tomorrow. The car is much more comfortable than yesterday to drive, so it should be reasonable for the race."

Team Manager Ange Pasquali added: "I think it is very good to qualify yet again in the top ten. This shows consistency in the work the team is doing this year.

"Mika and Allan both did a great job in qualifying. I am a bit superstitious so 13th is probably not the best position, but joking aside, we have to keep cool tomorrow, have a good start and be reliable."