Length: 5.303 km
Number of Laps: 58 (307.574 Km)
Best Lap: M. Schumacher - 1'28''214 (2001, Ferrari)
Record Pole: R. Barrichello - 1'25''843 (2002, Ferrari)
2002 Pole: R. Barrichello - 1'25''843 (Ferrari)
2002 Podium: M. Schumacher - J. Montoya - K. Raikkonen

The second session gets underway, the drivers have forty-five more minutes of track-time - other than the warm-up session before today's all-important qualifying shoot-out.

Ralf Schumacher is once again one of the first on track, followed by da Matta and Trulli.

Finally, it looks as though Jos Verstappen is going to post a time, his first of the day.

1:27.623 and Trulli goes third quickest, 0.208 off Button's time. Jos finally posts a time, albeit 6.6s off the pace.

In the Ferrari garage the mechanics are continuing to work on Schumacher's car which 'clipped' the wall in the first session. Frentzen goes thirteenth, the Sauber still not really on the pace.

McLaren's misery continues, after Raikkonen crashed out of the first session, Coulthard has now stopped out on the track, could it be a tyre problem? Whatever, the Scot's session is at an end.

Jos improves his time but he's still 5.4s off Button's time and 2s off his team-mate Wilson's best.

Da Matta improves to ninth while after some early promise, Panis is still languishing in fifteenth. Coulthard did indeed have a tyre problem, looks like a puncture, but he's managed to get back to the pitlane where the car is being pushed back to its garage.

Now it's da Matta who has run into problems, the Brazilian stopping out on track, he's stalled after a spin.

Michael Schumacher is on track, while Webber, currently tenth, has completed the most laps today, 24, Michael has completed 13.

No major improvements thus far as the drivers appear to be dialling in the cars and probably running on heavier loads, bearing in mind the new regulations regarding fuel.

Michael improves his time but stays fifth behind his brother, Montoya promptly leap-frogs them both to go fourth.

1:31.598, Verstappen improves but is still last, a nightmare for the Dutch racer. Frentzen has an off but is able to keep it going, the German currently fifteenth.

Kimi Raikkonen hasn't been out this session, which would indicate that the Finn is dubious about using the T-Car. That said, will the lack of set-up time hurt him?

Barrichello is on a stunning lap but is unable to improve, Button's set a real benchmark time.

Heidfeld posts his best time of the day, his fastest in all three sectors, but it's only good enough for fourteenth. If the Saubers are disappointing, which they are, then so too are the Jordans and to a certain extent the Jaguars.

Montoya is on a hot lap and sets the best time of the day in the second sector while Trulli is doing likewise in the first sector. 1:26.928 and Trulli goes quickest as Montoya fails to improve.

The Renault star has raised the benchmark by 0.487s, impressive - with just three minutes remaining.

Michael has an off but is able to continue, it's at the same spot where his fellow-countryman Frentzen had a 'moment' earlier.

1:27.558, Barrichello improves but stays third, meanwhile Alonso is on a fast lap.

The session is coming to an end and the drivers prepare for the eagerly awaited qualifying hour, which is three hours away.

Thus far the Renaults look good as do the Ferraris and the WilliamsF1s also the BARs, while the Saubers, Jordans and Jaguars are not coming up to expectations.

Certainly the Michelins seem to have the edge, but will the weather hold out? And by the time the big guns start running later today will the track have already lost its edge?