The German's first flying lap, at around halfway through the hour, was immediately 1.6s faster than his brother Ralf Schumacher had managed in the WilliamsF1 BMW just minutes before. After setting this 1m35.115s lap, Michael ducked straight back into the pits. Even Ferrari team-mate Rubens Barrichello, out at the same time, was hard pushed to get within a second of him.

With 10 minutes to go the Ferraris came out again. This time Schumacher banged in an astonishing 1m34.437s lap. Again Barrichello had to work to stay within a second of the world champion.

It would appear, at this early stage, that Bridgestone tyres do work in hot conditions. At least when fitted to Ferraris anyway.

British driver Anthony Davidson was third quickest for BAR, just under two tenths faster than Toyota's Ricardo Zonta. Both test drivers excelled and completed 21 laps apiece as they spent the hour trading times. Indeed Zonta spearheaded a potential Toyota revival with all three cars in the top ten at various stages during the session.

Ralf Schumacher ended the hour fifth fastest for Williams. Both he and team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya (eighth quickest) were fighting their cars however, Ralf spinning at the last corner and JPM running off track.

Kimi Raikkonen was sixth in his improving McLaren-Mercedes despite only completing five laps – the team perhaps still concerned over the fragility of its temperamental MP4-19. Team-mate David Coulthard completed 13 laps but could only manage the 11th fastest time.

Mark Webber was seventh fastest and the quickest of a bunch of drivers who took to the circuit late in the session. The Australian, left the majority of Jaguar's running time to tester Bjorn Wirdheim and rookie team-mate Christian Klein, but nevertheless he was still within 0.4s of Ralf Schumacher's Williams. To put things into perspective however, he was over two seconds slower than Michael…

Jenson Button was ninth in the BAR-Honda, like Webber, leaving it late to make his play. The Englishman's best time forced last year's poleman Fernando Alonso to the bottom of the top ten in his Renault.

Olivier Panis was 12th quickest, and while Cristiano da Matta was 18th, it seems that Mike Gascoyne's prediction that the TF104 may operate closer to its current optimum potential in Sepang may be correct.

Alonso's team-mate Jarno Trulli was 13th fastest ahead of Sauber's Giancarlo Fisichella and Takuma Sato in the second BAR. The Japanese driver was one of many to run off-track late in the session.

Wirdheim outpaced Jaguar race driver Klein for 16th spot, although the Swede did have more laps to achieve his time, while Timo Glock's 19th fastest time put him ahead of both of his Jordan team-mates Nick Heidfeld and Giorgio Pantono.

Gianmaria Bruni was unsurprisingly fastest of the three Minardis in 22nd ahead of Zsolt Baumgartner. Felipe Massa was 24th fastest after a trip over the gravel while Minardi's new boy Bas Leinders brought up the rear.