Practice 4: JPM sets up qualifying duel

Montoya was right on the limit in the 45-minute session, half spinning at the second chicane and bouncing over the controversial speed bumps at the first. Schumacher was in his usual routine, meantime, steadily chipping away at his fastest mark, but he also found time to take a trip over the bumps at the second chicane. The German lowered the quickest time to 1m21.328s, but a late flyer by Montoya pipped him by 0.009s - both well inside last year's pole.

Rubens Barrichello only emerged in the final 10 minutes after his Ferrari crew swapped his engine after a first session explosion, but he managed to drag the third quickest time out of the car at 1m21.754s, just a hundredth quicker than Montoya's Williams team-mate Ralf Schumacher.

McLaren slipped back to fifth and sixth in the times, with Kimi Raikkonen outpacing David Coulthard by 0.3secs this time. The Jaguars were up there once again, with Pedro de la Rosa beating Eddie Irvine by a matter of hundredths.

Allan McNish (Toyota) was ninth quickest again, ahead of BAR's Jacques Villeneuve. The Saubers of Felipe Massa and Nick Heidfeld were next up, while Renault duo Jarno Trulli and Jenson Button slumped to a terrible 17th and 18th. Button had a massive spin at the Parabolica and ended his session in the gravel.

Alex Yoong outpaced Mark Webber in the Minardi camp, but can he do it when it matters this afternoon?