Ahead of the first of today's two free practice sessions, the air temperature is 20 degrees C, while the track temperature is 21 degrees.

As ever, today we will only see the twenty drivers that are (currently) contesting the world championship.

Michael Schumacher was quickest in yesterday's first session, but in the second it was Kimi Raikkonen that topped the timesheets, in the ever-improving McLaren MP4-19B.

The teams had until 09:00 this morning to decide which compounds they intended using for the remainder of the weekend. Once the decision is made, there is no going back.

In addition to accumulating the necessary data, the WilliamsF1 drivers had to get used to the new nose configuration.

At 09:00 precisely, local hero Zsolt Baumgartner heads off down the pitlane, followed by teammate Gianmaria Bruni and Jordan duo Nick Heidfeld and Giorgio Pantano. After an installation lap, all four return to the pits.

Several minutes later, BAR's Takuma Sato is the next driver to 'dip his toe in the water'.

As Sato returns to his garage, Baumgartner comes back out, hopefully to post the first time of the day and get the action underway. Hot on the Hungarian's heels in McLaren's David Coulthard, who is now sporting his traditional 'Saltire' helmet design, having run with a 'rampant red lion' on Friday.

Baumgartner posts the benchmark, 1:30.260, as Montoya, Button, Pizzonia and Raikkonen come out to play.

The Colombian immediately posts a 'sensible' time, crossing the line at 1:23.161, only for teammate Pizzonia to post 1:22.443 moments later.

Gianmaria Bruni goes third quickest, though the WilliamsF1 drivers shouldn't feel too threatened, he's almost 5s off Pizzonia's pace. Elsewhere, Zonta, Panis, Webber and Barrichello come out for their installation laps.

As Barrichello begins his first flying lap, Nick Heidfeld goes fifth. Next time around, the German improves to third.

Barrichello posts 1:22.264, to go straight to the top of the timesheets, as fellow Brazilian Ricardo Zonta begins his flying lap. The Toyota driver goes fourth, with a 1:24.061. Next time around however, he goes quickest in the first sector, then again in the second, meanwhile Barrichello is also on a very, hot lap. Zonta goes quickest with a 1:21.927, only for Barrichello to beat it moments later with a 1:20.830 - the quickest time of the weekend, thus far.

Halfway through the session, only eight drivers have posted times. Barrichello is quickest, ahead of Zonta, Pizzonia, Montoya, Heidfeld, Pantano, Bruni and Baumgartner.

Olivier Panis is now on track, as is Michael Schumacher, the Frenchman goes fourth, while the world champion can only manage 1:30.981, which puts him behind the Minardis.

Next time around it's a different story, he's quick, but so is Button. The German goes quickest with a 1:20.631, as Button goes second - having been quickest in the first two sectors - with a 1;20.731.

Trulli goes twelfth on his first lap, but then improves to fourth, as teammate Fernando Alonso comes out, the Spaniard was winner here twelve months ago. The Italian improves, but remains fourth, while Pizzonia also improves, but remains sixth. Moments later, Alonso goes fourth with a 1:21.392, narrowly edging out his teammate.

With thirteen minutes remaining, we've yet to see a time from the McLarens, Jaguars, Saubers or Sato.

That said, Giancarlo Fisichella goes tenth with a 1:22.676, as teammate Massa comes out. The Brazilian goes fifth, posting 1:21.593, just two-thousandths quicker than Trulli.

Meanwhile Coulthard goes quickest in sector one, as Fisichella improves to eighth. The Scot loses a little ground in the second sector, and finally crosses the line at 1:21.555, which puts him fifth. Teammate Raikkonen however, can only manage thirteenth, posting 1:22.433.

Elsewhere, Pizzonia goes quickest in the first sector, then again in the second, the Brazilian really pushing the 'revised' FW26. A 1:20.482 puts him atop the timesheets, outpacing Schumacher by 0.149s.

Moments later, teammate Montoya goes third, splitting the two Ferraris, as Raikkonen improves to tenth.

Trulli improves, but remains sixth, as Baumgartner posts a time almost 2s faster than his teammate.

Schumacher goes quickest in the final sector - he kept doing this yesterday - but remains second. He's now 0.115s off Pizzonia's pace. Next time around the German is quickest in the second sector, and despite losing ground in the third, goes quickest with a 1:20.216. An amazing lap, when you consider that his final sector was (relatively) slow.

The session ends, Schumacher ahead of Pizzonia, Montoya, Button, Barrichello, Trulli, Alonso, Coulthard, Massa and Raikkonen. With Sato failing to post a time.