Ahead of today's opening free practice session at the Nurburgring, the air temperature is 20 degrees C, while the track temperature is 24 degrees.

For those of you who haven't been paying attention, Markus Winkelhock is replacing Christijan Albers in the second Spyker, the Dutchman having been dropped for "financial reasons". Though we hear that there is lots more to come regarding the matter.

There has been overnight rain, though the track is now dry. Despite some heavy cloud the sun is attempting to break through. Rain is not expected in this session.

When the lights go green, Winkelhock is first out, followed by his teammate (Sutil), Liuzzi, Sato, Kubica, Davidson and Trulli.

It's the same old story, one-by-one the drivers come out for an installation lap then return to the relative comfort of their garages.

Eight minutes into the session, Alex Wurz is the first driver to post a time, the Austrian crossing the line at 1:36.353. Moments later, Nico Rosberg posts 36.591. It is unusual to see the Williams out this early on a Friday, far less posting times.

Winkelhock and Liuzzi are both back on track, as is Jarno Trulli. Ten minutes into the session, only the Ferraris haven't made an appearance.

As Hamilton sits on the pit-wall, Raikkonen is in the back of the Ferrari garage putting on his helmet.

Winkelhock's first lap is over 4s off the pace, 5s when Trulli raises the benchmark with a 35.448.

Trulli improves with a 34.273, as Schumacher and Davidson begin their first flying laps of the weekend. The German goes sixth (34.985), as Davidson goes seventh, splitting Liuzzi and Winkelhock.

Nick Heidfeld leaves the pits as BMW gets its 'home weekend' underway. The German would dearly love a podium here this weekend.

As Trulli raises the benchmark (34.152), Heidfeld goes third (34.665), the German really jumping the kerbs at the chicane. Next time around the BMW driver improves to second with a 34.411, having gone quickest in the final sector.

Michael Schumacher is in the Ferrari garage, the German having hosted a promotional event at his Kart track on Thursday. Meanwhile, his brother takes the top spot with a 33.907.

Robert Kubica goes fourth (34.354), the BMW looking quite spectacular as it slides around the track. Elsewhere, Kovalainen and Fisichella are on track, as is Hamilton.

The Englishman goes quickest in the first sector, but goes wide in the second sector. Nonetheless, his time (35.215) is good enough for sixth.

Alonso goes quickest in the first sector, as Massa leaves the pits. Moments later there is a curious incident involving the Brazilian and the Spaniard. The Ferrari driver appears to brake test the McLaren at the chicane, causing the World Champion to take to the slip-road. For a short time afterwards they appear to be racing one another until finally the Brazilian eases off and the McLaren heads into the distance. We have a feeling that this won't be the last we hear of the matter. Back in the Ferrari garage, Michael Schumacher allows himself a wry grin.

In the meantime, Hamilton has gone quickest, ahead of Kubica, Schumacher and Heidfeld, but now Raikkonen is on track. The Finn goes third (33.781), as Hamilton gets all out of shape, and Massa remains eighth (34.675).

As the Spyker crew work on Sutil's car - the German being the only driver yet to post a time - Alonso goes fourth with a 33.792.

Scott Speed complains of understeer and "locking" in the slow corners, as he and his Toro Rosso remain over 2.5s off Hamilton's pace.

Massa is really throwing the F2007 around, though he remains eighth, just over a second off the pace.

Finally on track, Sutil posts 38.343 to go twenty-first, just over 2s off the pace of the next slowest car (Davidson).

As Massa improves to fifth (33.832), Kubica complains of "quite a lot of understeer and graining, particularly at corners 2, 6 and 11". Back on track, his teammate makes minor improvement to take eighth.