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BUDAPEST, Aug 2 - Toyota's Timo Glock put last month's Hockenheim crash behind him on Saturday to secure a career best fifth-place grid position for Sunday's Hungarian Grand Prix.
The 26-year-old German put in an impressive performance on the technically demanding Hungaroring track, making light work of his far from perfect run-in to the event.
Glock posted the fifth fastest lap in the day's opening qualifying session before driving second fastest, behind Ferrari's Felipe Massa, in the second session.
He remained second fastest behind eventual qualifying winner Lewis Hamilton for much of the decisive third session before giving way late on to Hamilton's team mate Heikki Kovalainen, Massa and BMW Sauber driver Robert Kubica.
"I felt pretty happy out there, especially with the second qualifying session," said Glock. "I was a bit disappointed with the last session though because I had too slow an outlap and couldn't get my tyres properly up to temperature."
Many of the fans who watched Glock's spectacular backwards crash into a concrete wall at his home grand prix two weeks ago will probably still be amazed he is back in his car at all.
Glock himself has repeatedly sought to play down the effects of the crash, which was splashed across Germany's tabloid newspapers for days afterwards.
Passed fit to race by Formula One doctors on Thursday, he said on Saturday that he had actually been harder hit by a bout of food poisoning after his return to testing in Jerez last week.
"That was far worse than the crash," the 2007 GP2 champion told reporters at Toyota's motorhome. "And I was also much more exhausted by all the media stuff that followed Hockenheim.
"Being all over the front pages of the newspapers in Germany after the crash was not the reason I came into Formula One. I want to be on the front pages for good qualifying and race results -- not for crashing my car.
"Hopefully there'll be the chance to do that on Sunday. The car is feeling spot on and it would be great if we can take that speed into the next couple of races and hold onto fourth place in the constructors' championship."
