As the tarmac dried, the cars emerged from their pit for the final ten minutes of the session and, for a change, it was race-driver Kimi Raikkonen who snatched fastest time (1:48.206) from McLaren Friday man Alex Wurz (1:48.216) by the smallest of margins. Juan Pablo Montoya, in the other McLaren, failed to run.

Third place went to Giancarlo Fisichella with 1:48.619. Fisichella always runs well at Spa, and with Fernando Alonso sitting out the session was the only Renault driver to set a time.

In fourth was Ricardo Zonta, the Toyota test driver doing his usual excellent job, followed by an encouraging Mark Webber in the Williams-BMW and Jarno Trulli's Toyota.

Michael Schumacher finished eighth, more than two seconds off the pace, while Antonio Pizzonia, standing in again for Nick Heidfeld at Williams, spun his car in the second sector on his final lap.