Fisichella fastest in practice 2

On a day of changing weather conditions, with the track drying throughout the second hour, both championship contenders German Michael Schumacher and Spaniard Fernando Alonso left their teammates to do their jobs, but clocked close and competitive times.

Retirement-bound seven-time champion Schumacher was third fastest and defending champion Alonso fourth when the session ended. Fisichella's best time was 1:34.337.

Once again the session began in wet conditions, but unlike the morning's hour, this time the track dried out, it remained dry and the temperature rose. At the start, the track temperature was 21 and the air was 24 degrees Celsius, but 15 minutes from the end, it had risen to 22 and 25 respectively.

There was also much more for the drenched fans to enjoy as the teams sent out more cars and drivers. After only five minutes, Ralf Schumacher topped the times in his Toyota, ahead of Briton Anthony Davidson for Honda, but within minutes this was changed.

Davidson, as he had done earlier, topped the times frequently, with Fisichella also clocking a fastest time 20 minutes into the session. Davidson responded in the closing stages with a lap in 1:40.986 to top Fisichella and German teenager Sebastian Vettel of BMW Sauber.

With 10 minutes remaining German Michael Ammermuller in his Red Bull Ferrari went top of the times, but his lap was immediately surpassed by Michael Schumacher on his first flying run as Ferrari went out on dry tyres in the closing minutes.

This signalled that the final part of the session was virtually a new contest on its own as the field responded to the welcome dry conditions at last, Fisichella, Alonso and Briton Jenson Button for Honda all clocking faster times than Schumacher as the leaders finally treated the session as serious business.

When the flag dropped to end the hour, the session ended with Schumacher on track but unable to improve on the leading times set by Fisichella or Massa as the sun at last came out.

Pos  Driver        Team                     Time               Laps
 1.  Fisichella    Renault             (M)  1:34.337            8
 2.  Massa         Ferrari             (B)  1:34.408 + 0.071   10
 3.  M.Schumacher  Ferrari             (B)  1:34.565 + 0.228   10
 4.  Alonso        Renault             (M)  1:34.863 + 0.526    5
 5.  Davidson      Honda               (M)  1:34.906 + 0.569   23
 6.  Vettel        BMW-Sauber          (M)  1:34.912 + 0.575   30
 7.  Button        Honda               (M)  1:35.002 + 0.665    6
 8.  de la Rosa    McLaren-Mercedes    (M)  1:35.064 + 0.727    6
 9.  Trulli        Toyota              (B)  1:35.343 + 1.006   12
10.  Raikkonen     McLaren-Mercedes    (M)  1:35.367 + 1.030    5
11.  R.Schumacher  Toyota              (B)  1:35.375 + 1.038   12
12.  Ammermuller   Red Bull-Ferrari    (M)  1:35.433 + 1.096   25
13.  Barrichello   Honda               (M)  1:35.528 + 1.191   10
14.  Webber        Williams-Cosworth   (B)  1:35.866 + 1.529    5
15.  Rosberg       Williams-Cosworth   (B)  1:36.176 + 1.839   10
16.  Albers        Spyker MF1-Toyota   (B)  1:36.180 + 1.843    4
17.  Wurz          Williams-Cosworth   (B)  1:36.234 + 1.897   25
18.  Kubica        BMW-Sauber          (M)  1:36.299 + 1.962    5
19.  Montagny      Super Aguri-Honda   (B)  1:37.354 + 3.017   20
20.  Liuzzi        Toro Rosso-Cosworth (M)  1:37.441 + 3.104   15
21.  Speed         Toro Rosso-Cosworth (M)  1:37.501 + 3.164   16
22.  Coulthard     Red Bull-Ferrari    (M)  1:37.596 + 3.259    6
23.  Monteiro      Spyker MF1-Toyota   (B)  1:37.702 + 3.365    9
24.  Jani          Toro Rosso-Cosworth (M)  1:37.741 + 3.404   26
25.  Doornbos      Red Bull-Ferrari    (M)  1:37.788 + 3.451    9
26.  Sato          Super Aguri-Honda   (B)  1:38.533 + 4.196   18
27.  Heidfeld      BMW-Sauber          (M)  1:38.779 + 4.442    5
28.  Yamamoto      Super Aguri-Honda   (B)  1:38.955 + 4.618   14
29.  Sutil         Spyker MF1-Toyota   (B)  1:43.914 + 9.577   14

All timing unofficial