Trulli's team-mate, Fernando Alonso was so calm after the earlier private test session that he didn't go out until the hour was 45 minutes old. His confidence was justified: he posted third-fastest time just behind Trulli.

Nine of the top 10 runners were on Michelin tyres – and the fastest Bridgestone car was not a Ferrari. Michael Schumacher seems to have been correct in expecting a tough weekend: he fell backwards through the practice times. Instead, the top Bridgestone runner was Jenson Button in the BAR.

Button's team-mate Jacques Villeneuve was 12th, one place behind Schumacher. Rubens Barrichello, in the other Ferrari, was down in 15th place.

Back at the top of the table, Jaguar's Mark Webber put in another good performance to take fourth place. Behind him were Juan Pablo Montoya's Williams, Cristiano da Matta's Toyota, Button and Ralf Schumacher's Williams. Justin Wilson, in his first weekend with Jaguar, was ninth, 0.769s behind the super-speedy Webber. Olivier Panis's Toyota completed the top 10.

Minardi new-boy Nicolas Kiesa kept it on the track to come in just 0.239s behind his experienced team-mate Jos Verstappen. Okay, Verstappen had at one point run wide and spun, but he lived to lap again.

He was in good company. Several others ran wide with at least part of the car on the grass, including Raikkonen, Webber and Sauber's Nick Heidfeld.