Heidfeld didn't block me

(GMM) After failing to emerge from the fight for the bottom five grid positions in qualifying, Heikki Kovalainen said traffic was not to blame.

In his McLaren at Barcelona, the Finn was faster only than the tail-ending Force Indias in Q1, after following the BMW-Sauber of Nick Heidfeld towards the end of his final hot lap.

After the lap and cemented in eighteenth place, an engineer asked him over the FIA-monitored radio if Heidfeld slowed him down, and Kovalainen answered "a little bit".

But speaking with reporters a few minutes later, the 27-year-old changed his mind.

"Nick was a little bit ahead of me but I don't think he lost me a lot of time," Kovalainen confirmed.

"It's been quite a difficult weekend, I just couldn't find any grip today — that's why the lap time was too slow."