Free practice 4: Schuey flies

Times tumbled right from the start of the session. Jenson Button shot to the top, but his was quickly knocked down the order as Coulthard and Schumacher traded fastest times. With less than a minute remaining Schumacher used a tow from Jarno Trulli across the start/finish line to post the first lap beneath last year's pole. Despite the Scot being on track at the same time he was unable to improve and had to settle for second.

Although the dry line began stretching itself across the width of the track, the surface was still slippery in places. Giancarlo Fisichella continued his affinity with the run off at Acque Minerali, and Sauber's Felipe Massa also ran wide across the grass midway through the double right-hander. Fisichella had a further off at Piratella, which brought his session to an end with seven minutes remaining.

Even Michael had a brief off, the Ferrari driver taking to the grass on the exit of Ravazza. Alex Yoong also had two harmless spins, and ended the session at the foot of the timesheets.

Honours appeared even in the tyre stakes, with the top 10 being equally divided between Michelin and Bridgestone. Nick Heidfeld did an impressive job to slot his Sauber in fourth, just two hundredths behind Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello and ahead of both Williams drivers, who were fifth and sixth with Juan Pablo Montoya marginally the quicker.

Jacques Villeneuve and Heinz-Harald Frentzen were both higher up than usual in ninth and 10th, and Button once again had the better of Trulli. The Englishman was eighth, his team-mate 12th.

With conditions looking likely to remain dry for the qualifying hour the session promises to be a cracker. The Tifosi will give Schumacher all the encouragement they can, but McLaren and Williams surely have plans to rain on the Scuderia's parade...

For full practice session 4 results, click here.