Ahead of today's second free practice session, the air temperature is 25 degrees C, while the track temperature is up to 41 degrees.

The lights go green, and first out is Patrick Friesacher, followed by de la Rosa, Albers, Panis, Liuzzi and Klien. Raikkonen and Karthikeyan are also eager to get back to work.

De la Rosa sets the benchmark with a 1:16.991, ahead of Panis, Klien and Liuzzi.

Kimi Raikkonen looks to be about to go fastest, having matched de la Rosa's time in the first sector, when he stops, blue smoke pouring out of the back of his car, engine failure.

Meanwhile, Montoya is on track, as are Barrichello and Coulthard.

The Scot goes second (17.652), ahead of Panis, Klien and Barrichello, while Montoya goes seventh, ahead of Karthikeyan.

Next time around, Barrichello improves to second, but remains 0.748s off de la Rosa's pace.

Michael Schumacher is on track, as are Webber, Massa and Button. Elsewhere, Coulthard goes off into the gravel, but is able to continue.

De la Rosa improves (16.886), as Webber goes fourth, only to be demoted, along with Coulthard, by Jenson Button (17.432) who goes third.

As Tonio Liuzzi posts 1:17.774, to go fifth, Michael Schumacher can only manage 1:18.998, which puts him eleventh.

Button goes second (17.039), and for a brief moment Michael is third, before being bumped down by his brother, Ralf.

Just moments later, both Schumachers are demoted by Jarno Trulli - who didn't post a time in the first session - the Italian going third, albeit 0.662s off de la Rosa's pace. Next time around the Toyota driver improves to second (16.930).

Looks like it's an 'early bath' for Klien too, he gets it wrong and slides off into the waiting barriers, game over. He was twelfth quickest at the time.

With sixteen minutes of the session complete, it's de la Rosa, ahead of Trulli, Button, Ralf, Michael, Barrichello, Coulthard, Panis, Liuzzi and Webber.

Heidfeld improves to tenth (17.678) as Villeneuve goes fourteenth with a 1:18.886.

Fernando Alonso goes straight to the top of the timesheets, the World Championship leader crossing the line at 1:15.969. as Coulthard goes second (16.371).

It's a Renault 1-2 as Giancarlo Fisichella posts 1:15.949, slipping in behind his teammate and ahead of Montoya, who posts 1:16.270.

Hardly have the smiles faded from the faces of the Renault crew, when Rubens Barrichello goes quickest with a 1:15.605. However, within moments he's leapfrogged by Fisichella and then Michael Schumacher, who posts 1:15.204, to go quickest.

Fernando Alonso goes second with a 1:15.272, just 0.068s off Michael Schumacher's time. The top 4 - that's the Ferraris and Renaults - are covered by just 0.401s.