Red flags were raised five minutes into the session as Vitantonio Liuzzi skated off-track in the rain, his Red Bull hitting the barrier with, thankfully, no harm done to the hapless driver.

Robert Doornbos was also on track in the Minardi but returned to the pits while the barriers were repaired and did not venture out again.

The only other driver to try a lap was Fernando Alonso, who gingerly took the Renault out and returned immediately to his pit.

The weather does not bode well for the GP2 runners whose qualifying session runs after the F1 hour.

Points of interest worth mentioning - Juan Pablo Montoya has changed an engine in his McLaren but will not suffer a penalty as he has yet to run a lap, while Giancarlo Fisichella's Renault also has a new engine following this morning's session, and will take a ten place drop on the grid.