Euro GP: Friday Practice Session 2

Lap times were quicker than in the first session and Schumacher's earlier time looked immediately under threat. David Coulthard went 0.5sec quicker at the second intermediate of his second flying lap and then promptly span at the final corner.

Hakkinen then took up the gauntlet and moved into first place, closely followed by Coulthard after a brief trip to the pits for some fresh rubber.

With ten minutes of the session remaining the McLarens looked untouchable at the top while neither Button nor Wurz were even inside the top ten. There then followed a frantic few minutes which saw the demise of Ralf Schumacher's BMW engine in a cloud of smoke, Fisichella spectacularly spin off at Bit-Kurve and Benetton's Alex Wurz leap into first place.

As the end of the session approached, there was no shortage of potential candidates for the top slot as the first eleven places were covered by only a second. As if the young Brit has not impressed enough already this season, Button then usurped Wurz for first place at the very last minute. He must now carry his form over into tomorrow's qualifying session.


Lap times for second practice session.

1 J Button, Williams, 1m19.808s
2 A Wurz, Benetton, 1m20.248s
3 M Hakkinen, McLaren, 1m20.300s
4 D Coulthard, McLaren, 1m20.507s
5 M Schumacher, Ferrari, 1m20.519s
6 R Schumacher, Williams, 1m20548s
7 J Trulli, Benetton, 1m20.609s
8 R Zonta, BAR, 1m20.709s
9 N Heidfeld, Prost, 1m20.751s
10 J Villeneuve, BAR, 1m20.786s
11 M Gene, Minardi, 1m20.801s
12 P Diniz, Sauber, 1m20.862s
13 G Fisichella, Benetton, 1m20.862s
14 R Barrichello, Ferrari, 1m20.891s
15 HH Frentzen, Jordan, 1m20.992s
16 E Irvine, Jaguar, 1m21.246s
17 J Herbert, Jaguar, 1m21.323s
18 J Alesi, Prost, 1m21.442s
19 J Verstappen, Arrows, 1m21.653s
20 P de la Rosa, Arrows, 1m21.659s
21 G Mazzacane, Minardi, 1m22.135s
22 M Salo, Sauber, 1m22.161s