Too Good To Be True? Heikki Gives McLaren a Solid Chance For British Quinella

Heikki Kovalainen has been sniffing around the edges of a win for some time, but just hasn't been able to sink his teeth in and give a race a good shake.

Now that he has finally managed to obtain pole position, he  may actually have a chance to break through for a well-deserved win. 

But he won't have a chance to relax and enjoy the rarity of an unobstructed view, because Kimi Räikkönen and Lewis Hamilton have qualified within spitting distance.

Mark Webber also qualified well, but typically does not manage to capitalize on a good grid position, so his role may simply end up being traffic that other drivers will have to negotiate (this may give Kovalainen a very slight advantage if Webber causes some mischief early).

Meanwhile, the good run of form has continued for Nelsinho Piquet, who did well to qualify 7th.  Piquet turned in his best performance so far in his debut season when he finished 7th in France.  While he could only be considered a very rough outside chance to win this race, the improvement could be a sign of better things to come in the future.

A McLaren quinella, had it come a year ago, might have been just the medicine British motor racing needed to keep the Silverstone circuit alive.  While it seems there is nothing to be done about that particular tragedy, at least if the quinella does happen, it may help to alleviate the pain just a dash.

Unfortunately, Silverstone is a high speed track where the pace is definitely going to suit Ferrari, so it is highly likely that we could see a repeat of last year's result, with Räikkönen taking the honors and McLaren taking the minor places on the podium.

Regardless of the result, Kovalainen's pole position serves as a timely reminder that McLaren has got two talented drivers on the books (just in case you had forgotten).

While he won't have an easy time at the front, his opponents might do well to remember his little battle with Jarno Trulli in France.   That display is a clear sign that he is not going to give way easily, so if a better driver or faster car is going to beat him, they'll have to do it the hard way, just like Mr Trulli.