Testing, testing, one, two, three...

For the second consecutive F1 test, the key players have chosen Monza, in order to continue set-up work on the low downforce Italian circuit, which is the closest the teams can get to the long straights of the Hockenheimring, where the German Grand Prix takes place in two weeks' time.

Testing starts today (Tuesday) and McLaren's main rival, Ferrari, will be joining the Woking-based team for all four days of the test. However the Prancing Horse has again decided to split its efforts with one car at Monza and another at its private test track in Fiorano. Michael Schumacher will kick things off at the Italian Grand Prix venue, before heading back to Fiorano for the final day on Friday.

Also present for all four days of the test will be Jordan, Williams and Benetton and while the first two will be using both race drivers and a test driver, the struggling Benetton team is leaving all the driving duties up to Giancarlo Fisichella and Jenson Button.

Jaguar Racing will aslo be on hand at Monza and as well as honing the set-up of its R2, the Milton Keynes-based team will be giving Jaguar Formula 3 driver James Courtney his first taste of F1 with a stint behind the wheel.

Like Ferrari, British American Racing is testing at two tracks, with one car at Monza and a second at the twisty Valencia track in Spain.

Sauber will be joining BAR at Valencia as the team completed its Monza testing two weeks ago and has now moved on to development work for next month's high downforce Hungarian Grand Prix. The small Swiss outfit is one test ahead of its bigger rivals as it does not have the resources to make development parts as quickly between races and requires closer to six weeks, compared to the three weeks of the larger teams.

Abstaining from this test is Prost, which continues to concentrate on factory-based development, as the team is thought to be concentrating on securing funds for the rest of the year and for 2002. Arrows is also not running this week as it puts the finishing touches to a new aerodynamic package that is due to be introduced at Hockenheim.

As always, Autosport.com will be on hand to keep you up to date with who's setting the pace with times and news from all three circuits on all four days.