Alex Wurz had dominated Friday with the fastest times in both outings, Kimi Raikkonen repeating the feat the day after.

Raikkonen put in a sensational time of 1:14.128 in the final session to head home his team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya with a 1:14.449.

Fernando Alonso, the championship leader, was once again forced to settle for the 'best of the rest' position.

His Renault proved no match for the mighty MP4-20 and his best effort of 1:14.758 fell some six tenths short of the benchmark.

BAR and Williams found some form to mount pressure on the French squad.

Jenson Button (BAR) claimed fifth with a 1:15.072 and Mark Webber (Williams) was sixth with a 1:15.111.

The times put the pair just two tenths shy of the Renaults of Alonso and Giancarlo Fisichella.

Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher returned to the top ten with a 1:15.253 for P7 while Red Bull Racing’s Christian Klien continued to impress in P9.

Minardi are looking reinvigorated in Germany with both Christian Albers and Robert Doornbos finishing ahead of their arch rivals in the Jordans.

At one stage in the session Albers even had the march on Schumacher and the Williams only for the trio to put in quick last minute runs and steal the Dutchman’s glory.

With attention now turning to qualifying, the question of who can catch McLaren would appear to have become which McLaren will be on pole?
Light fuel loads aside, no team is near the class of the British squad currently and pole position, plus victory, appear to theirs to lose.