Ahead of today's sole free practice session, the air temperature is 27 degrees C, while the track temperature is 49 degrees. It is bright and sunny, entirely different to yesterday.

The lights go green and Schumacher leads the way, from Yamamoto, Sato, Sutil, Trulli, Davidson, Kubica and pretty much everyone else. Within the opening four minutes, everyone has been out for an installation lap, barring Massa and Raikkonen.

There are a number of women in the McLaren garage - including Lisa Dennis, Ron's wife - no doubt this will lead to a grid penalty. To make matters worse, Lewis Hamilton is engaged in conversation with the women, and laughing with them!!!

Nine minutes into the session, as Kimi Raikkonen waits in his car, visor firmly locked in place, Schumacher, Yamamoto and Sutil are back on track.

Yamamoto posts the first time of the day, but this is soon beaten by Sutil (1:16.628). Moments later, Schumacher crosses the line at 14.947, though this is almost instantly eclipsed by his Toyota teammate who posts 14.631.

As Trulli raises the benchmark with a 14.142, Raikkonen heads down the pitlane, as do Button, Heidfeld, Kubica and a couple of others.

Raikkonen stays out, the Finn clearly going for an early time. Meanwhile, Sutil is pushed up the pitlane having clearly experienced some form of technical problem.

Raikkonen goes fifth (16.788), but immediately goes quickest in the first sector of his next lap, finally crossing the line at 13.011. At which point the timing screens go crazy… as is par for the course when it comes to big occasions.

Fernando Alonso is on track, and as Massa posts 12.802 to go quickest, the Spaniard can only manage third with a 13.249. Moments later the McLaren driver is bumped down by his teammate, who posts 13.213.

Outside the 'big four', Barrichello is fifth, ahead of Coulthard, Fisichella, Kubica and Trulli.

Massa improves with a 12.653 as Mark Webber goes fifth with a 13.683. That said, Kubica demotes the Red Bull driver with a 13.525.

A 13.868 sees Vettel improve to ninth, ahead of Coulthard and Trulli. In the McLaren garage the mechanics are working on Alonso's car, no doubt under the watching eye of the fair play Tsar.

Kovalainen goes sixth with a 13.588, but is almost instantly demoted by his teammate who goes fifth with a 13.522. As Coulthard goes third (13.117), Raikkonen slows right down, causing a million Tifosi hearts to miss a beat, but the speeds up again. As if to prove the point that all is well, the Finn improves with a 12.358, to re-take the top spot.

That said, Massa posts 12.136, thereby leapfrogging his Ferrari teammate. The Italian team has made it quite clear that it intend dominating here this weekend, and clearly the drivers have got the message.

Kubica grinds to a halt by the side of the track in the second sector, the Pole having clearly suffered a technical problem. He climbs from his car. As the yellow flags are waved, Massa doesn't appear to slow until the very last moment, could this lead to recriminations later?

As Massa goes quickest in the first sector, Hamilton is back on track. Fifteen minutes remaining.

Hopefully, Heidfeld and BMW have some sort of strategic ploy, for the German is currently fifteenth, almost 2s off the pace. Despite having completed 16 laps.

At the first attempt Hamilton fails to improve, slipping to eighth as Webber and Liuzzi go fourth and fifth.

A 12.913 sees Fisichella go fourth, ahead of Webber, Liuzzi, Coulthard and Vettel.

With just over seven minutes remaining, Massa heads down the pitlane, he is the first of the big guns to appears on the softs (supersofts to be precise).

Trulli (softs) goes third with a 12.461, as Massa goes quickest in the second sector. The Brazilian is fastest in the final sector also, crossing the line at 11.810. Meanwhile, Raikkonen is also on a quick lap, going quickest in the first sector. He loses a little ground in the middle sector, and the third, but still improves to 11.942.

Under three minutes and Alonso and Hamilton are both on track, the Englishman now having slipped to fifteenth.

Alonso fails to improve, but he still has time for another lap. However, Hamilton takes second spot with a 11.934. His father watches impassively from the garage.

The session ends, with Massa quickest, ahead of Hamilton, Raikkonen, Webber, Trulli, Barrichello, Heidfeld, Alonso, Vettel and Rosberg.

It looks as though we are in for a very close qualifying session this afternoon, with Hamilton clearly up for the fight with the Ferraris.