Length: 4.361 km
Number of Laps: 70 (305.270 Km)
Best Lap: R. Barrichello - 1'13''622 (2004, Ferrari)
Record Pole: R. Schumacher - 1'12''275 (2004, Williams)
2005 Pole: J. Button - 1'15''217 (BAR)
2005 Podium: R. Raikkonen - M. Schumacher - R. Barrichello

Alonso’s 1:15.455 pipped Fisichella by less than a second, but the Renaults were pushed hard by an unlikely main challenger this morning – BMW-Sauber.

Local hero Jacques Villeneuve put in third fastest time, less than a tenth away from Alonso, and was himself a similar fraction quicker than team mate Nick Heidfeld. Following on from Kubica’s impressive performances yesterday, it seems as though the BMW’s really are ‘best of the rest’ on outright speed.

Behind these two come Kimi Raikkonen and Michael Schumacher, both around half a second from the real pace and seemingly struggling to match the front runners, while Juan Pablo Montoya put the second Mclaren seventh and Rubens Barrichello was again top Honda driver with eighth fastest time.

Filling out the top ten are Felipe Massa in the second Ferrari, and Scott Speed, the American getting the very best out of the Toro Rosso and using it’s prodigious straight line pace to great effect.

Williams and Toyota look to be struggling for pace, as do Red Bull, while the Midland and Aguri runners make up the back end again.

An interesting qualifying session is in store, then, with pole looking likely to go to a Renault, barring any surprises from the local boy Villeneuve.