Ahead of today's second free practice session, the air temperature is 13 degrees C, while the track temperature is 18 degrees. It is somewhat overcast this afternoon and unusually cool, while a shower right after the GP2 practice session has left the track a little damp. Indeed, with a few spots still falling the session has been declared wet.

Following his gearbox problem this morning, Kimi Raikkonen only completed three laps. However, with the session about to begin the engine is fired up, everything appearing to have been sorted.

Giancarlo Fisichella has been hit with a three-spot grid penalty, having left the pitlane this morning before the lights went green.

The lights go green for this session and Trulli is first out.

We saw little of the soft (medium) option this morning, apparently this is because due to graining the teams intend limiting their use, certainly while it is as cool as it is right now.

Eight minutes into the session, as Raikkonen heads down the pitlane, Bourdais is the first to post a time, crossing the line at 1:37.723.

Having completed an installation lap, Raikkonen returns to the pits.

There follows another long period of inactivity, in the pitlane David Coulthard chats with Helmut Marko.

Seventeen minutes into the session, Raikkonen heads back down the pitlane. Having completed another installation lap, the Finn continues round, followed by the two Force Indias.

Crossing the line at 29.235, the 2007 world Champion goes quickest, ahead of Fisichella, Sutil and Bourdais. Fisichella is on the soft (medium) option.

Raikkonen improves with a 27.812, as Hamilton and Massa head down the pitlane. Within moments, the Englishman is second on the timesheets (28.893) just ahead of the Brazilian. On his next lap, Massa goes wide at the first turn. Kubica goes fourth and Alonso fifth.

Another improvement from Raikkonen, who posts 27.543 to consolidate his place at the top of the timesheets.

A big crash for Webber which immediately brings out the red flags. The accident happened just after Turn 6, the Australian went a little wide at the exit and then as the car rejoined the track it started to spin finally heading off into the barriers. The front of the car is badly damaged but the Australian is out of the car and clearly OK.

The order is: Raikkonen, Massa, Hamilton, Kubica, Kovalainen, Button, Alonso, Coulthard, Webber and Glock.

With fifty-two minutes remaining, the lights go green again. First out is Kovalainen, who is running on softs. The Finn improves to third with a 28.205, as David Coulthard goes fifth with a 28.574.

Button moves up to seventh (29.216), behind Kubica, as the Red Bull has great difficulty getting Mark Webber's damaged car back up the pitlane. That said, a couple of the guys are laughing.

Massa improves to within 0.223s of his Ferrari teammate, as Glock goes seventh with a 28.849.

Rosberg improves to ninth with a 28.908, as Piquet attempts to improve on seventeenth. Elsewhere, Kovalainen goes wide and Bourdais goes off over the grass.

Webber might be out of the running but his teammate, David Coulthard, goes third, crossing the line at 28.127.

A 27.954 sees Kovalainen re-take third place, as, back in the Red Bull garage, Webber watches the crew rebuild the front of his car.

With twenty minutes remaining, Fisichella has completed the most laps (23), ahead of Hamilton and Bourdais (22) and Massa (21). Quickest through the speed-trap is Raikkonen, ahead of Massa, Alonso, Rosberg, Kovalainen and Nakajima.

Some great powerslides, and a few interesting excursions, but for the most part this has been an excruciatingly boring session.

With fifteen minutes remaining, Rosberg (soft) improves to sixth, leapfrogging Kubica and Trulli.

Button (softs) goes off, the Briton enjoying a bumpy ride over the grass verge.

Kovalainen (soft) begins a flying lap, the Finn eager to close the 0.411s gap to Kimi Raikkonen. In the BMW garage Nick Heidfeld claims of 'bottoming' - what with the English spoken in a German accent it's almost impossible not to think of Max.

The Toro Rossos remain well off the pace, as do Piquet and Sutil.