Williams drivers adore track

Perhaps the drivers' opinions had something to with the WilliamsF1 FW26 chassis generally being close to the pace, and in the case of Montoya, bang on it. Montoya, who finished a close second to Michael Schumacher in Malaysia, was just 0.001s slower than Rubens Barrichello's Ferrari - quickest of all today - after the two hour-long sessions.

"I definitely like this track because it's quite challenging and this is how a good circuit must be," said Montoya. "Of course the facilities are amazing, as everyone can see. Also the grip is not too bad, in spite of all we have heard so far, and the track has become quicker and quicker throughout the session."

Ralf Schumacher had a spin early in the first session and ended up 11th fastest. But in the afternoon hour the German found his groove and improved to sixth fastest less than 0.4s from the ultimate pace. "I am very happy with today's sessions, when we could thoroughly complete our programme," said Schumacher.

"A small problem is the fact that since the track gets quicker and quicker, we don't know if our car goes faster thanks to the set-up changes we make or just because of the improved grip-level. I generally like the track very much even if it is still quite dusty."

Despite the concerns of nearly all the engine manufacturers prior to the event regarding the likelihood of sand affecting their equipment, BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen reported no problems at all: "All in all it was a very eventful Free Practice Session, but everything went according to plan for us. The engines worked with no problems at all and temperatures remained always in the safety 'green' area.

"To protect ourselves from the sand, the air-intake filters are particularly important here. To explain it in a simple way, we use a filter of a more dense material. The goal is to let through as much air as possible whilst affording the intake the best protection."