Length: 5.412 km
Number of Laps: 57 (308.238 Km)
Best Lap: M. Schumacher - 1'30''252 (2004, Ferrari)
Record Pole: M. Schumacher - 1'30''139 (2004, Ferrari)
2006 Pole: M. Schumacher - 1'31''431 (Ferrari)
2006 Podium: F. Alonso - M. Schumacher - K. Raikkonen

In contrast to this morning's session - which Raikkonen commanded virtually throughout - second practice saw plenty of changes at the top of the timesheets.

The McLarens went first and second early on, Alonso two tenths faster than Hamilton, before Massa moved ahead with a 1:34.043 approaching the mid-point of the session.

Alonso responded with a 1:33.784 lap, while Raikkonen moved up the order to second shortly afterwards, having languished outside the top ten following his first run.

Then, with 15 minutes remaining, Hamilton used the softer Bridgestone option to hit the front, 0.2 seconds quicker than Alonso, but only briefly before Raikkonen - on the same compound - beat his time by 0.013 seconds.

A late improvement by Robert Kubica put the BMW third ahead of Massa, who ran wide at Turn 4 on his soft tyre lap.

Alonso completed the top five, having stayed on hard tyres at the end of the session.

Jenson Button suffered what appeared to be an engine failure at the one hour mark - huge flames erupting from the back of the Honda as it accelerated out of Turn 2.

The closely-following Massa had a spin on fluids dropped from Button's car, but rejoined safely. Button, however, looks set to require an engine change.

Williams showed promising form again, with Alex Wurz and Nico Rosberg sixth and eighth quickest, despite the latter having a couple of trips off the road.

Tenth fastest Jarno Trulli also left the track - spinning at Turn 4 - while his teammate Ralf Schumacher nearly tangled with Scott Speed's Toro Rosso at the first corner.

Red Bull improved on their morning form, with David Coulthard ninth quickest, although Mark Webber had a spin at Turn 10 and was only 14th.

Several drivers became frustrated by traffic during the session, with both Trulli and Giancarlo Fisichella shaking their fists at slower cars, and Raikkonen raising a middle finger in the direction of a Toro Rosso.