The main protagonists sound off after a rain affected first day of free practice ahead of Sunday's Turkish Grand Prix.

Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari): "Not the best of Fridays. This morning, I only managed one timed lap before a gearbox problem meant I could not go out for the rest of the session. In the afternoon, I struggled a bit to find the right settings on the car. We lost valuable time this morning, but we still have enough data to analyse so that we can be ready to tackle the rest of the weekend."

Felipe Massa (Ferrari): "Overall, this was a positive day. The track is very fast, even if it's still a bit dirty, which meant it was quite easy to make mistakes. The low temperatures mean it is difficult to get the most out of the tyres on a first timed lap, especially on the harder ones. I feel comfortable on this track and I think I can be very competitive tomorrow and on Sunday in the race: it would be fantastic to win again here, after having done it for the past two years."

Fernando Alonso (Renault): "The track conditions were certainly not ideal today, buy they were the same for all the teams and did not disturb our programme too much. We still have to make a few more improvements tomorrow, especially with the general balance of the car, but today's performance is encouraging for the rest of the weekend."

Nelson Piquet (Renault): "My day was pretty normal. The track conditions were relatively stable, even though it rained a little bit at the beginning of the afternoon. Overall I think that we have prepared well, and I am determined to make the most of the final practice session tomorrow."

Giancarlo Fisichella (Force India): "This morning I was really struggling with the balance and with the grip on the circuit, but then we made a few changes on the car and it felt much better, much more consistent so I think it was a good afternoon, it was definitely a step forward in the second session.'

Robert Kubica (BMW Sauber): "Unfortunately I didn't have too much time on the track this morning due to a small technical problem. We only did four runs and had to work on the tyres and the set up. We still have a few problems with the balance of the car, but tested several set up options which we will now evaluate and then choose the best one. I am confident for tomorrow."

Nick Heidfeld (BMW Sauber): "The trouble is I don't get the tyres heated up quickly enough. The long run wasn't bad. As soon as the tyres start to work, it is okay, but it takes too long to get there. We now have to work on that."

Jenson Button (Honda): "It was a bit damp when we first went out this afternoon but from then on the track was fine. This circuit is very tough without traction control and you could see that a lot of people were making mistakes but that does make it more fun to watch and drive. I was certainly enjoying it out there! The car is working better on the smoother asphalt here and we have made some changes to help with the ride quality, so for me the car feels better than in Barcelona."

Rubens Barrichello (Honda, on F1 race 257): "Most importantly, when I'm in the car, it's a normal weekend for me. It's fantastic to have the celebrations here, with all my family and the team, but on the track nothing changes. When I began my career back in 1993, I never thought that I would break this record, but now it really means a great deal to me."

Eurosport