Alexander Sims wants F3 qualifying improvement

Sims enjoyed his fourth podium finish of the 2010 season in Germany

After a fourth and third-place finish at the Nurburgring, Alexander Sims is looking to step up his F3 Euro Series qualifying pace.

The 22-year-old from Wansford started Saturday's race one from fifth on the grid but managed to make up places to leapfrog ART team-mate Valtteri Bottas.

"Points-wise this weekend hasn't been too bad for us," he said.

"Qualifying was yet again the problem, we're not getting the most out of the tyres and that's costing us."

He added: "I made a decision in qualifying to go a bit more aggressive with the set-up on the second set of tyres but it didn't work out.

"Our race pace is always good, there's never a problem there, but we need to get qualifying sorted."

The third-place finish in race two, from a fifth-place start, moves Sims up to third in the championship, 29 points adrift of Italian Edoardo Mortara.

"I've managed to climb ahead of Bottas in the standings and we got back on the podium which is always good," he added.

"In the first race I sat glued to the back of Roberto Merhi's car the whole time. In the second race, I was able to get onto the podium from fifth on the grid so I'm happy with that."

Sims will now prepare for rounds 11 and 12 which will take place at Zandvoort in the Netherlands on 21 and 22 August.