Ahead of today's second free practice session, the ambient temperature is 20 degrees C, while the track temperature is 27 degrees.

Seven drivers failed to post times in this morning's wet session, including Juan Pablo Montoya who went off, wrecking the FW26.

Following another rain shower in between the two sessions, the track is still damp as Timo Glock is first to venture out, as he was in the first session, the German closely followed by Webber, Davidson, Raikkonen, Zonta and Heidfeld.

Glock wastes no time in posting a benchmark, his yellow and black car crossing the line at 1:31.981, moments later Webber goes quicker, the Jaguar star posting a 1:31.179.

Glock improves with a 1:30.219, as Wirdheim, Heidfeld and Zonta all post times. Next time around the Jordan 'third driver' posts 1:28.725, as conditions continue to improve.

Ten minutes into the session and Marc Gene is on track, the Spaniard immediately goes quickest in the first sector, then again in the second. He crosses the line at 1:28.368 to go quickest by 0.357.

Next time around Gene improves, but BAR tester Anthony Davidson goes even quicker, crossing the line at 1:25.644, over 2s quicker than the WilliamsF1 driver.

As Davidson goes quicker - posting a 1:24.960 - so too does Glock who laps the French circuit in 1:28.725, to go fourth.

Toyota's Ricardo Zonta goes second with a 1:25.089, the Brazilian just 0.129s off Davidson's time.

The order, after seventeen minutes, is: Davidson ahead of Zonta, Glock, Gene, Leinders, Baumgartner, Wirdheim, Webber and Heidfeld.

In the hope that conditions will improve, there's a lull in the 'action', twenty-one minutes into the session, only nine drivers have posted a time.

Webber is on a hot lap, the Australian goes quickest in the first sector. He's quickest again the second sector, going on to cross the line at 1:20.525, that's 4.4s quicker than Davidson and clear proof that conditions are much improved.

As Panis, da Matta and Fisichella venture out, the Jaguar driver goes even quicker, posting a 1:19.307. Now, Alonso, Sato and Button decide to come out.

As Webber goes quickest in sector one, Gene sets the pace in sector two, the Spaniard crossing the line at 1:18.061, at which point Trulli and Massa venture out.

Webber improves to leapfrog Gene, but Panis goes even quicker, the Frenchman posting 1:18.022, moments later the WilliamsF1 driver goes quicker still, posting 1:17.742.

The action is frantic, and no sooner has Gene improved yet again, Jenson Button goes quickest with a 1:17.207.

The Englishman, and his teammate Anthony Davidson look set to improve as Michael Schumacher exits the pits, joined by teammate Rubens Barrichello.

Good news for McLaren, Kimi Raikkonen goes quickest in the new MP4-19B, within seconds however, his time is eclipsed by Alonso and then Button.

The BAR driver now has the benchmark at 1:16.397, but as Jarno Trulli goes quickest with a 1;16.206, Michael Schumacher goes third with a 1:16.397, exactly the same time as Button.

With just over half the session run, it's Trulli ahead of Button, Michael, Coulthard, Alonso, Raikkonen, Webber, Gene, Panis and Fisichella.

Rubens Barrichello goes seventh, as fellow South American Montoya goes ninth, the top seven drivers covered by less than a second.

Although there's another lull in the action, Webber improves slightly, as does Fisichella.

At which point it starts raining again.

With sixteen minutes remaining, the order is: Trulli ahead of Button, Michael, Alonso, Coulthard, Webber, Raikkonen, Barrichello, Panis and Fisichella.

There is nobody on track.

With ten minutes remaining, the rain stops and Marc Gene is first to venture back out. He is soon joined by Davidson and Glock.

Several more drivers venture out, but there are no improvements.

That said, with two minutes remaining, Giorgio Pantano improves slightly, as does da Matta, but it looks as though the big guns have simply given up.