Ahead of today's second free practice session the air temperature is 30 degrees C, while the track temperature is 45 degrees. It remains bright, with a little less cloud.

Yamamoto is waiting at the end of the pitlane, and when the lights go green he leads Sutil, Vettel, Heidfeld, Liuzzi and Kubica back to work. Wurz is back in the second Williams.

Yamamoto is all over the place, clearly struggling for grip and getting crossed-up all over the place.

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Within minutes of the session getting underway, no less than twelve names are on the timesheets, with Kovalainen at the top (29.264). However, moments later Hamilton goes quickest (38.031), with the session not yet five minutes old.

A 37.637 sees Alonso go quickest, as the Ferrari duo, and Giancarlo Fisichella, wait resolutely in their garages.

More problems for Nick Heidfeld, who missed much of this morning's session following a hydraulics problem, he pulls off track just ten minutes into the session.

Raikkonen goes fourth with a 38.467, slipping in behind the two McLarens and Kovalainen.

A whole load of BMW engineers arrive to help Heidfeld, clearly determined to get him back to work.

While Raikkonen improves to third, Fisichella takes fourth with a 37.979. Sixteen minutes into the session, only one driver hasn't made an appearance, Felipe Massa.

Twenty-one minutes into the session, Massa heads down the pitlane. Meanwhile, the BMW crew have Heidfeld's car back in its garage.

Lewis Hamilton re-takes the top spot with a 37.101. Next time around the Englishman improves with a 36.956, having gone quickest in the first two sectors. Meanwhile, Webber goes fourth with a 37.953.

Beautiful bit of 'product placement' in the Renault garage where a bottle of Med Croc' - Kovalainen's drink sponsor - is placed right in front of the camera.

As Hamilton consolidates the top spot with a 36.845, Massa has completed two laps but has yet to post a time.

With an eye on this afternoon's stewards' meeting, Alonso clearly hasn't given up, he goes quickest with a 36.828. Coulthard takes third (37.923) but all eyes are on Massa who has gone quickest in the second sector. Going quickest in the third sector also, Massa crosses the line at 36.953 to go third. Moments later, however, just like this morning, he spins.

Having been demoted by Rosberg, Raikkonen re-takes fourth place with a 37.429, as Webber goes fifth with a 37.450.

Alonso improves with a 36.613, and immediately goes quickest in the first sector of his next lap. Elsewhere, in his determination not to be outdone, Hamilton gets it all out of shape at the first corner and heads off into the gravel. Meanwhile, Massa goes quickest in the second and third sectors, crossing the line at 36.630 to go second.

Both Hondas are over 2.5s off the pace, while the Toyotas are also struggling, compared to this morning.

Kovalainen pulls off track in the second sector. He removes the steering wheel and climbs out, no doubt awaiting a visit from the travelling Renault crew.

At 'half-time', it's: Alonso, Massa, Hamilton, Raikkonen, Webber, Rosberg, Coulthard, Fisichella, Kovalainen and Kubica.

Jarno Trulli posts personal bests in all three sectors to go sixth with a 37.540. Schumacher takes eighth with a 37.740. Another driver to set a personal best in all three sectors is Liuzzi, who goes fourteenth with a 39.065.

Another improvement from Trulli sees the Italian go fourth with a 37.151, thereby demoting Raikkonen to fifth. Elsewhere, Massa is the latest driver to go wide, making full use of the generous (tarmac) run offs.

With twenty minutes remaining, Button has completed the most laps (31), ahead of Barrichello and Sutil (30), Yamamoto and Kubica (29). Kovalainen is back on track.

Nick Heidfeld, who has only completed 8 laps thus far, posts personal bests in all three sectors, but remains 1.775s off the pace, in thirteenth.