In front of the Swiss based team's transporters at the Istanbul circuit on Saturday, Nick Heidfeld (Germany), Robert Kubica (Poland) and test driver Christian Klien (Austria) posed in special blue and white soccer outfits.

All three countries, as well as Croatia, have been grouped together in 'Group B' of the Euro 2008 tournament, to be hosted jointly by Austria and Switzerland in June.

The drivers' jerseys featured their native country's flag on the front.

Heidfeld, meanwhile, celebrated his 31st birthday with a cake outside the team motor home, but Saturday was not all fun and games for the German team.

"We have to admit that up to this point McLaren has been stronger than us," team boss Mario Theissen is quoted as saying by the Swiss newspaper Blick, after Robert Kubica qualified fifth in Turkey.

Heidfeld is a comparatively distant ninth on the grid.

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