1:26.145 is the benchmark as Nick Heidfeld crosses the line, though Ralf has soon got this down to 1:24.868. Both Germans continue to improve as the track slowly begins to dry out thanks to the combined efforts of the sun and those big fat grooved tyres.

1:19.892 for Ralf, now we're getting somewhere. Montoya goes second as Pizzonia, Button and Villeneuve slot in behind third placed man Heidfeld.

After five laps Panis is still 7s off the pace, the Frenchman and his Brazilian team-mate will be wishing they were posing for photographers on a yacht rather than wasting their time on track. We all expected a lot of the Toyota this year, however they seem to be going backwards.

Ten minutes into the session and the two Ferraris finally come out to test the water, though not literally we hope. 1:19.512 and Michael goes second quickest on his first lap though he's quickly demoted by David Coulthard. The Scot now goes quickest but its Frentzen that sets best time in sector one, ending his lap fifth fastest.

Michael and Rubens go to the top of the timesheets but not for long as Raikkonen posts a 1:17.766. At this point everyone except Wilson, Fisichella and the two Renault drivers has posted a time.

Fifteen minutes into the session and the order is: Raikkonen, Schumacher, Barrichello, Coulthard, Frentzen, Ralf, Webber, Button, Villeneuve and Montoya.

Raikkonen continues to set a blistering pace as Villeneuve improves to fifth and Fisichella goes eleventh with his first lap.

Webber goes ninth as the two Toyotas continue to struggle, elsewhere Button goes fourth with a 1:17.938, just 0.4s off Raikkonen's benchmark. The two BAR drivers have both completed 13 laps at this point, more than any of their rivals, still no times from Wilson or Trulli.

Alonso goes twelfth, he's improving little by little, as his team-mate goes fifteenth, are the Renaults off the pace or playing about with fuel loads and thinking ahead to tomorrow?

1:17.260 and Ralf goes quickest and Trulli moves up to thirteenth, Jaguar's Pizzonia goes sixteenth.

da Matta is propping up the timesheets - after 9 laps - over 4s off the pace with his team-mate, and winner here in 1996, Olivier Panis, just ahead of the two Minardis.

1:16.687 and Michael nudges his brother aside from the top spot as Trulli goes seventh, the German posts a best time in the first sector on his next lap then eases off, is he experimenting just as in Austria?

da Matta improves to fifteenth leaving Wilson at the bottom of the times as Trulli goes fourth with a 1:17.738. Coming up to the thirty minute spot Barrichello goes second only to have Montoya leap frog the two Ferraris, the order now is: Montoya, Schumacher, Barrichello, Ralf, Villeneuve, Trulli, Raikkonen, Coulthard, Webber and Button.

Normally the first session on a Saturday is fairly relaxed, but this has been quite frantic.

Coulthard improves to fourth, the top nine covered by less than a second, as Raikkonen posts a best time in sector one then again sector two. 1:15.752 the Finn goes quickest by 0.8s, the first lap in the 1:15s this weekend, quite amazing. Next time around however he sets another best in the first sector, can he raise the benchmark even further? The answer is no, he fails to improve.

Elsewhere Button is fourth continuing the great form he showed on Thursday while the Toyotas remain at the wrong end of the timesheets with the Minardis.

Two other drivers surprisingly way off the pace are Pizzonia and Firman, they're both over 3.5s of Raikkonen's time, with team-mate Webber and Fisichella about 2s off the pace.

Alonso's session comes to an abrupt halt in the third sector, the Spaniard is currently fifteenth, 2.618s off Raikkonen's time.

Trulli goes fourth - could this he his weekend - as Webber improves to eighth and Fisichella improves but remains twelfth.

Villeneuve goes sixth and slots in right behind his team-mate - and new bestest pal - Jenson Button, as Webber claws his way up to seventh.

Panis goes fourteenth only to be demoted by Firman as Pizzonia leapfrogs the pair of them. As ever the Australian has something in reserve and goes third quickest on his final lap with a time of 1:16.615, 0.8s off the pace.