Ahead of today's second free practice session, the air temperature is 18 degrees C, while the track temperature is 25 degrees C. It remains dry but overcast.

First out is this morning's pace-setter, Pedro de la Rosa, followed by Zonta, Liuzzi, Albers, Monteiro and Karthikeyan.

The Spaniard posts the benchmark (23.129), as Alonso, Klien, Ralf and Coulthard leave their garages. On his first flying lap the world championship leader goes quickest, crossing the line at 1:22.336.

Ralf Schumacher posts 1:25.709, to go fifth, as de la Rosa leapfrogs his Spanish compatriot to top the timesheets (22.111), though moments later Alonso is back on top having lapped the Northamptonshire track in 1:22.060.

As Alonso goes quickest in the first sector, Michael Schumacher is on track, as are Montoya, Villeneuve, Raikkonen and Trulli.

de la Rosa goes quickest again (21.763) as Raikkonen slips in behind, and Michael third, ahead of Alonso, Montoya and Coulthard.

Klien has a big moment, he spins and almost hits his teammate (Coulthard), moments later he spins again. Interestingly, Villeneuve spins at the same point where Klien had his first 'off'.

A 1:21.569 sees Michael go second, though almost instantly he's bumped down to third as Montoya posts 1:21.364 to go quickest.

De la Rosa re-takes the top spot with a 1:21.364, but he is soon demoted by Michael, who crosses the line at 21.044.

After twenty minutes, it's Michael quickest, ahead of, Alonso, de la Rosa, Montoya, Raikkonen, Button, Barrichello, Massa, Klien and Coulthard.

A 1:20.875 sees de la Rosa back on top spot, while further down the timesheets Webber and Heidfeld occupy seventeenth and eighteenth positions. Traditionally, WilliamsF1 doesn't go for times on Friday, but even so, one would expect them to be higher up the timesheets than this.

Giancarlo has yet to leave his garage, and the Renault mechanics are working on his car. The Italian was on of three drivers that failed to post a time in the first session.

Kimi Raikkonen goes quickest in the first sector, though he loses ground in the second. He crosses the line at 1:20.454 to go quickest. Next time around her goes quickest in the first and second sectors, crossing the line at 1:20.384. Elsewhere, Heidfeld fifteenth, slotting in between Sato and Coulthard.

A 1:21.235 sees Mark Webber go fourth, just 0.851s off the pace, as Juan Pablo Montoya takes the top spot with a 1:20.252, giving McLaren a 1-2-3.

With twenty minutes remaining, Barrichello improves to tenth, while Sato appears to have a problem, he is driving back to the pits very slowly.

Ricardo Zonta goes second (20.372), then on his next lap improves to 1:20.086, to take the top spot back from Montoya.

Jenson Button improves to ninth (21.186), as Villeneuve improves to nineteenth. Elsewhere, Jarno Trulli goes fourth (20.816).

At the 'wrong' end of the timesheets, Robert Doornbos goes twentieth, quickest of all the Jordan and Minardi runners. Meanwhile, Ricardo Zonta goes quickest in the first and second sectors, finally crossing the line at 1:18.964, the quickest lap of the day. Teammate Ralf Schumacher goes fourth with a 1:20.602.

Liuzzi and Coulthard both improve, putting both Red Bulls in the top nine, as de la Rosa goes quickest in the first two sectors, finally crossing the line at a staggering 1:18.589. Next time around he goes even quicker in the first sector, but loses ground in the second. Nonetheless he improves to 1:18.530, thus finishing the session 0.434s faster than his nearest rival (Zonta).

With three cars in the top four, McLaren will look ahead to the remainder of the weekend with quiet confidence, while Toyota and Renault look set to add to their points tally.

All in all, a very odd session, with the top two way faster than anyone else, but the next 12 drivers covered by just over a second.

Final order: de la Rosa, Zonta, Montoya, Raikkonen, Ralf, Trulli, Alonso, Liuzzi, Coulthard and Michael

Button finished eleventh, ahead of Webber, Fisichella, Klien, Barrichello, Massa, Villeneuve, Heidfeld, Sato, Doornbos, albers, Monteiro, Karthikeyan and Friesacher.