Ahead of today's first free practice session, the track temperature is 29 degrees C, while the air temperature is 19 degrees, with humidity at 67percent.

It's pretty cloudy, but there are some blue bits. It rained earlier today, and yesterday, but is supposed to be clearing up and improving throughout the weekend.

When the lights go green, Robert Doornbos is first out, in the EJ15B, followed by Panis, de la Rosa, Villeneuve, Friesacher, Albers, Monteiro and Karthikeyan.

Klien and Liuzzi are 'early risers', as is Nick Heidfeld. These three are joined by Coulthard, Montoya, Webber, Massa, Raikkonen, Button and Sato.

'Home boy' Panis is the first driver to return to the track for a 'proper' lap. The Frenchman posts 1:19.425, then immediately improves to 1:18.496. McLaren's Pedro do la Rosa goes second with a 1:19.474.

Next time around, the Spaniard improves to 1:17.255, to go quicker than Panis by almost a second.

With fourteen minutes gone, only two drivers have posted times, whilst everyone has completed an installation lap, except for Trulli and Michael Schumacher.

Tonio Liuzzi is the third driver to post a time, the Red Bull driver crossing the line at 1:20.790, just ahead of Doornbos, who took 1:24.607 to cover the same distance.

As Doornbos improves (20.940), Christijan Albers goes fifth (of five) with a 1:22.403.

Twenty-five minutes into the session, and Friesacher is on track, as are de la Rosa and Panis. The Austrian is the sixth driver to post a time, crossing the line at 1:23.483.

de la Rosa goes quickest in the first two sectors, finally crossing the line at 1:16.918, next time around he improves with a 1:16.764.

Narain Karthikeyan goes third (20.373), albeit 1.39s off de la Rosa's pace.

Kimi Raikkonen is on track, and looks set to be the first of the 'big guns' to post a time, however it's all over for Monteiro who 'jumps' the curb and breaks his left-rear suspension. The hapless Portuguese driver is left stranded in the gravel.

Raikkonen is atop the timesheets, the Finn having posted a 1:16.430, out-pacing previous pace-setter, teammate de la Rosa, by 0.334s.

Michael Schumacher is back on track, as are Webber, Heidfeld and Button.

Schumacher goes third (17.219) as Webber goes fourth (18.046) and Heidfeld sixth (19.293). However, moments later Jenson Button goes fourth, splitting Schumacher and Webber, with a 1:17.529.

A 1:17.922 sees Juan Pablo Montoya go fifth, as Button improves to third (16.936).

Suddenly, with twenty minutes remaining, we seem to have some action. De la Rosa goes quickest with a 1:14.919, as Montoya improves to second, albeit 1.495s slower. Raikkonen completes the McLaren 1-2-3 by consolidating third spot with a 1:16.430.

de la Rosa improves again (14.778), as Sato goes ninth (18.302), and Barrichello seventh (17.609), slotting in right behind teammate Schumacher.

Giancarlo Fisichella goes second, crossing the line at 1:15.670, as Monteiro walks back to his garage. The Italian is fastest through the speed-trap (193.8 mph).

Elsewhere, Liuzzi improves to twelfth (19.055) ahead of Alonso.

With thirteen minutes remaining, Villeneuve, Klien, Massa, Coulthard, Ralf and Trulli are the only drivers that haven't posted times.

A 1:15.650 sees Fernando Alonso go second, so suddenly a McLaren 1-2-3, has become a Renault 2-3.

Christian Klien finally posts a time, the Austrian crossing the line at 1;18.505, to go thirteenth.

De la Rosa goes quickest in the second sector, but loses ground in the third, consequently he fails to improve. However, Jenson Button does improve, the BAR driver goes fourth with a 1:16.038.

Jacques Villeneuve goes fifteenth (1:18.192), as Fisichella consolidates second with a 1:15.255. However, moments later he's edged out by Alonso, who improves to 1:15.183.

Takuma Sato goes fourth (15.530) leapfrogging his teammate, as Raikkonen (15.877) also goes quicker than Button.