Germans dominate on home tarmac

Schumacher in the Ferrari was fastest overall, his time from the first session remaining unbeaten. However, a late run from Heinz-Harald Frentzen in the Jordan made it a German one-two.

Heavy rain between the two sessions meant that the track was extremely wet when the second hour got underway. Frentzen hinted at his pace by lapping faster than anyone else when the conditions were at their worst, but it would be nearly 45 minutes before the track dried enough for drivers to start setting competitive times.

The Jordans made the biggest gains during the session. As well as Frentzen flying up to second, his team-mate Jarno Trulli went sixth quickest despite missing the morning session. A mechanical problem had sidelined his Jordan before he could complete a fast lap earlier on. Meanwhile Frentzen left it until the final minute of the session to improve his time by a full second, leaving him just 0.04s slower than countryman and session pacesetter Schumacher.

Despite the poor conditions, the sessions remained relatively orderly. Both Minardis crashed however, Gaston Mazzacane hitting the barriers in the stadium section and Marc Gene beaching himself in the gravel at the final corner.

Schumacher's apparent speed advantage over the McLarens will delight his rabidly enthusiastic home fans, but the pace of Frentzen's Jordan suggests that they may well have more than one German to cheer at the front of the field in qualifying tomorrow.

For full combined practice results, click here.