As the second of today's two free practice sessions gets underway, the air temperature is 19 degrees C, while the track temperature is 26 degrees.

As soon as the pitlane lights turn green, Ralf Schumacher is on track, followed by this morning's pace-setter, Kimi Raikkonen.

The Finn posts the benchmark, crossing the line at 1:16.315, as Ralf post 1:18.149. Montoya and Karthikeyan are also on track now.

Looking at the pace of the Ferraris, one has to wonder if the Italian team knows something, and is already planning for a wet race. Other than that, what else could explain the dreadful lack of pace here?

Raikkonen improves (14.987), as Montoya goes second (15.798), ahead of Ralf and Karthikeyan.

Monteiro is now on track, as is Fisichella.

Finally, the sun is beginning to break through the clouds.

As Sato, Alonso, Button and Monteiro come out, Montoya improves with a 1:15.180, to come within 0.193s of his teammate. Ralf Schumacher also improves, the German crossing the line at 1:16.893, however, he is quickly demoted by Alonso (16.360). Moments later, Fisichella makes it a Renault 3-4 when he posts 1:16.182.

A 1:16.800 sees Jenson Button go fifth, ahead of Ralf, Webber, Sato and Trulli. Elsewhere, Barrichello and Michael are on track.

Jarno Trulli goes fifth, as Barrichello goes thirteenth, 3.2s off the pace. Moments later, the Italian loses out as his time is eclipsed by Massa and then Button, meanwhile Michael Schumacher posts 1:17.094, to go eleventh.

Juan Pablo goes quickest in the second sector, finally crossing the line at 1:14.937 to go quickest, as Christian Klien goes third (15.852). Meanwhile, his Red Bull teammate, David Coulthard, is on track, about to post his first time of the session. Unfortunately, it's a disappointing 1:19.076, which leaves him twentieth, of twenty.

Michael improves to tenth (16.728), just 0.002s ahead of his brother.

From out of nowhere, Takuma Sato produces a 1:15.699 to go third, while Coulthard improves to seventh with a 1:16.244.

Fernando Alonso goes quickest in the first sector, however he loses a little pace in the second. Nonetheless, he crosses the line at 1:15.027, to go third, just 0.090s off Montoya's pace.

Next time around the Spaniard is quickest in the second sector, finally crossing the line at 1:14.758 to take the top spot. If anyone thinks that McLaren is the 'in form' team, someone clearly forgot to tell the World Championship leader.

That said, Raikkonen goes quickest in the second sector, having set a personal best in the first. He's quickest again in the third, crossing the line at 1:14.128, out-pacing Alonso by an amazing 0.630s.

With fifteen minutes remaining, it's Raikkonen quickest, ahead of Montoya, who posts 1:14.449 to re-take second. Alonso is third, ahead of Button, Sato, Klien, Fisichella, Coulthard, Massa and Ralf.

Monteiro's session is over, the Portuguese driver spins at Sachs and then stalls his engine. Nonetheless, he is the only driver with a 100% finishing record this season.

With ten minutes remaining, there are just three drivers on track, Sato, Coulthard and Albers, a clear case of, the calm before the storm.

Michael Schumacher leaves the Ferrari garage, with eight minutes remaining he is sixteenth, 2.6s off the pace. He sets a personal best in the first sector, and does it again in the second. At the line the German posts 1:15.253, which sees him climb to fifth on the timesheets, but still 1.12s off the pace. Meanwhile, Doornbos has stopped at the end of the pitlane.

Fisichella improves 14.958) to re-establish the McLaren-Renault symmetry at the top of the timesheets. Meanwhile, Kimi goes quickest in the second sector, but makes a mistake in the final section and therefore fails to improve.

Both Toyota drivers improve in the final moments, though it is Webber who makes the most significant jump, leaping to sixth spot, ahead of Michael, with a 1:15.111.

The session ends with Raikkonen quickest (again), ahead of Montoya, Alonso, Fisichella, Button, Webber, Michael, Heidfeld, Klien and Trulli.

At this stage it looks as though it's between the McLarens and the Renaults, however, one cannot help but feel that Ferrari knows something that we don't. Either that or they are moving backwards.