Panis blasts Leinders

Panis finished the session 13th quickest and was satisfied with his day's work, but he believes he could have finished higher up the order had it not been for Leinders' failure to use his mirrors.

"I think it was a positive day. We worked quite well and we seem to have found a clear direction with selection of the tyre compounds, which is one of the most critical things about Friday's practice sessions," he said.

"At the end of the second practice, I was on a very quick lap, but I lost at least four-tenths through the driving of Leinders in the Minardi. I know it can't be easy for him, but he should really learn to use the mirrors."

Cristiano da Matta finished one place down on his team-mate and while it was a productive day for the team the Brazilian admitted he was worried about the state of his tyres.

"We didn't expect anything special in terms of the car performance around the Nürburgring this weekend," he said. "We still need to find more grip, but we know that already. Something that concerns me, though, is the high rate of degradation on the tyres. We have to look into this more closely because it will be important when it comes to preparing for the race in tomorrow's practice sessions."