Ahead of today's first free practice session for the Brazilian Grand Prix, the air temperature at Interlagos is 27 degrees C, while the track temperature is 39 degrees. It is a little cloudy, but the sun is up there somewhere and trying to break through.

When the lights go green, Alexander Wurz is first out on track, followed by Nicolas Kiesa in the Jordan. Zonta, Liuzzi, Doornbos, Albers, Monteiro and Karthikeyan, are the other 'early risers'. As are Sauber boys Jacques Villeneuve and Felipe Massa.

Takuma Sato leaves the BAR garage, the Japanese driver having told the media that he is extremely unhappy at the way he feels the Brackley outfit has treated him, and has no intention of staying on as test driver.

As Button, Montoya and Coulthard come out to play, Ricardo Zonta is the first driver to post a time, the Toyota test driver crossing the line at 1:16.640. Next time around the Brazilian posts a 1:15.628.

Wurz and Liuzzi are also back on track, the Austrian going quickest with a 1:15.370, as the Italian crosses the line at 1:19.317.

As Sato and Button return to the track, Wurz raises the benchmark with a 1:14.581. Elsewhere, Fernando Alonso is on track.

As Liuzzi improves (1:16.120), Kiesa goes fourth with a 1:19.043.

With twenty minutes of the session gone, only the Ferraris, WilliamsF1s, Raikkonen, Trulli and Ralf haven't made an appearance.

As Kiesa improves (17.818), Alonso waits patiently in the Renault garage.

Twenty-three minutes into the session, Kimi Raikkonen takes to the track, the Finn knowing that nothing less than victory will do this weekend. Then again, he has to bank on Alonso not finishing in the top three, and that hasn't happened since Hungary.

Zonta is the only man on track, the Brazilian improving with a 1:15.284, 0.703s off Wurz' pace.

Wurz improves again, the Austrian crossing the line at 1:14.072, as Ralf Schumacher finally leaves the Toyota garage for his installation lap. Fisichella and Alonso follow the German down the pitlane, as does Takuma Sato.

Meanwhile, Wurz has raised the benchmark ever higher with a 1:13.898.

Next time around, the Austrian goes quickest in the first sector but is unable to maintain the pace. Meanwhile, Sato goes second (14.048), having gone quickest in the second sector.

Jacques Villeneuve and Christijan albers are both on track.

A 1:13.717 sees Sato go quickest, clearly the Japanese driver is a man on a mission.

Zonta retakes the top spot with a 1:13.573, as Michael and Rubens leave the Ferrari garage. Only the WilliamsF1 drivers have yet to go out.

Villeneuve goes fifth (15.459), only to be leapfrogged by Michael, who goes fourth with a 1:14.736.

Schumacher continues to run but fails to improve. However, teammate Barrichello gradually improves to fifth (14.893).

With just over fifteen minutes remaining, the order is: Zonta, Sato, Wurz, Michael, Barrichello, Liuzzi, Villeneuve, Button, Kiesa and Monteiro.

Monteiro runs wide and kicks up large chunks of grass and earth, as Button goes fourth with a 1:14.023.

On his first real flying lap of the day, Alonso throws don the gauntlet, the Spaniard crossing the line at 1:13.256. However, moments later, Wurz puts the smile back on Ron and Kimi's faces with a 1:11.701.

Fisichella goes third (13.364), as Wurz goes even quicker in the first sector but is unable to maintain the pace.

David Coulthard goes seventh (14.724), as Montoya begins his first flying lap of the day. The Colombian crosses the line at 1:13.846, to go sixth.

As Trulli goes eleventh (15.270), Pizzonia is the first of the WilliamsF1 drivers to make an appearance.

Montoya improves to fourth (13.256), as former teammate Ralf Schumacher posts 1:14.695 to go eighth. Moments later he's bumped down by his teammate, Jarno Trulli.

Sato goes second (12.738) as Ralf improves to seventh (13.788).

Pizzonia goes sixth (13.427), as Kimi Raikkonen crosses the line at 1:14.437, to go eleventh. Elsewhere, Button improves to third.