Ferrari driver Felipe Massa is hopeful that his side's reserved strategy during qualifying will pay dividends on raceday at the German Grand Prix.

The Brazilian is placed seventh on the grid ahead of the race at the Nurburgring, but he and his teammate Fernando Alonso completed qualifying using the medium compound that made them slower than their rivals.

Massa hopes these tactics pay off when the race leaders are forced to change to a different compound on Sunday.

He told reporters: "We're hoping that they are going to struggle on these tyres on the first stint.

"I hope they come out in to traffic after the first pit stop; if they stop pretty soon, they're going to go in to traffic and here is not an easy track to overtake as well.

"I hope we'll gain positions by staying out with the tyre that is a lot more consistent, and also with new tyres at the end I hope it works."

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton finished on pole position with a time of 1:29.39, beating out Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel, who came second.