Irvine pleased after 'good work'

The Ulsterman was second quickest to surprise leader Jarno Trulli with Coulthard down in fourth place and Hakkinen 10th.

'We did good work today,' said Irvine.

'There is still a lot of work to do for tomorrow because I am still having trouble controlling the back end of the car, which is why I spun this morning.'

The Ferrari team leader is equipped with revised aerodynamics and new wings for Hockenheim.

'This wings make the car faster on the long straights but harder to control in the slow stadium section,' he said.

Irvine is pulsing with confidence from last Sunday's win which came after two sleepless nights because of nerves.

However, he will know Friday's times rarely count for much and McLaren, with a couple of seconds still to come in qualifying trim, are hot favourites for victory after their runaway 1-2 triumph here 12 months ago.

'I feel less pressure here than I did at Zeltweg. There it was my first race as team leader. I was lucky enough to win it,' said Irvine.

'Here I feel more confident and content and hopefully that's coming through in the driving. I'm not predicting anything yet for the race.

'I slept fantastically well last night - maybe that's why I had a problem this morning and spun. I was still asleep,' added Irvine who is two points behind Hakkinen in the championship.