Test 2: Ekstrom leads Scot

Dumbreck ended the session second fastest, but was almost half a second slower than Ekstrom's pace. Making it a 2-3 for Britain was Gary Paffett, the recent Shanghai non-championship race winner 0.121s off Dumbreck's time.

Marcel Fassler was fourth fastest in another Opel, pipping Schneider by 0.01sec. Christian Abt was sixth fastest, despite a number of lock-ups at Turn 1, but the Abt squad lost Tom Kristensen early in the session when he car emitted a plume of smoke and he was forced to pull off. He was eighth fastest.

Emanuele Pirro was seventh quickest in his Joest-run Audi, while Manuel Reuter (Opel) and Pirro's team-mate Frank Biela completed the top 10.

Series leader Christijan Albers (13th) and AMG Mercedes team-mate Jean Alesi (12th) continue to struggle for pace. Alesi missed the first half of the session, which didn't help, while Albers appears to be struggling with understeer on a track where he won last year.

Spinners included Aiello, Timo Scheider (Opel, 16th), Martin Tomczyk (Audi, 14th) and Bernd Maylander (Mercedes, 17th). Heinz-Harald Frentzen was 18th in his Opel, but returned to the pits with damaged rear bodywork at the end of the session.