Practice 2: Raikkonen top

It is the second time Raikkonen has appeared at the top on a Friday, Malaysia being the first time when he went on to claim fifth on the grid but failed to finish the race after a Mercedes blow-out.

The top spot changed hands throughout the session with Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello holding on to it the longest until, with 10 minutes of the session to go, other drivers decided they wouldn't mind a taste of Friday glory.

Renault's Jarno Trulli made the first attack only for McLaren's David Coulthard to pip him seconds later. Williams' Ralf Schumacher claimed the slot after just 10 seconds only for Raikkonen to poke his silver nose across the line with the quickest time of the day in an unbeatable 1m29.355s.

Ralf took third spot ahead ahead of Coulthard and Trulli while the session's original pacesetter Barrichello had to settle for sixth. BAR's Anthony Davidson, who set the quickest time in the first session, was off the pace down in seventh place as he surely carried out set-up work for Sunday's race.

Renault's Fernando Alonso rounded out the top 10 ahead of Ferrari's Schumacher, who completed just nine laps in the second session. Williams' Juan Pablo Montoya was 11th having failed to improve on his first session placing.

Sauber's Giancarlo Fisichella, 16th in the session, will lose 10 grid positions for Sunday's race after he replaced his engine following this morning's first free practice session.