Length: 5.807 km
Number of Laps: 53 (307.573 Km)
Best Lap: K. Raikkonen - 1'31''540 (2005, Mclaren)
Record Pole: M. Schumacher - 1'31''317 (2004, Ferrari)
2005 Pole: R. Schumacher - 1'46''106 (Toyota)
2005 Podium: K. Raikkonen - G. Fisichella - F. Alonso

For an extremely dull fifty minutes we watched as three cars, the usual suspects Anthony Davidson, Alex Wurz and Sebastian Vettel, for Honda, Williams and BMW respectively, traded the top three places.

Behind them Ernesto Viso, a debutante for Spyker Michael Ammermuller in the Red Bull and Neel Jani in the Toro Rosso fought amongst themselves, not quite quick enough to challenge the top three, and the Super Aguri’s of Takuma Sato, Sakon Yamamoto and Franck Montagny put in a few cursory laps.

And that was that.

Until the last few moments, of course, when a handful of superstars decided to grace the circuit with their presence.

Almost instantly Kimi Raikkonen eclipsed Davidson with a 1:13.764, just as the flag fell and no-one had time to respond. His team mate Pedro de la Rosa slotted in fifth, behind Davidson, Wurz and Vettel, and half a second down on the Finn.

Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello put in last minute laps in the Hondas for sixth and ninth places, while Jarno Trulli and Ralf Schumacher also appeared late and managed seventh and 11th positions.

Neel Jani did his usual good job for eighth, faster than Toro Rosso race drivers Scott Speed and Tonio Liuzzi who could only manage 14th and 15th, while Michael Ammermuller put the Red Bull in tenth place.

No Renault, no Ferrari, no Williams and neither of the BMW race drivers made an appearance, raising the question as to what the spectacle will be next season when third cars are banned and the Friday sessions gain an extra half an hour. We will, it is presumed, wait a full eighty minutes, instead of fifty, for any meaningful running.

No rain, then, but very few runners anyhow.