Qualifying 2: Only Arden improves

Only the Arden drivers Tomas Enge and Bjorn Wirdheim managed to improve their times to push themselves up to seventh and 11th respectively, but apart from that, the order remained static from the first session run earlier in the day.

Pre-season title favourite Enge was frustrated by a gamble taken in the first session. When the track was at its quickest, Arden sent him out on slick tyres when wets were still needed. When it continued to stay dry at the start of the second session, Enge improved. But when the rain started again, that was it for the day.

Bourdais' dominant performance in the first session gave him his second successive pole. "In the first session it was getting drier, but slicks were not the way forward," said the Frenchman. "That was Tomas' mistake I think. It was a difficult decision, but it turns out we made the right one. Having won in sportscars last week [in Barcelona], things are going well for me at the moment."

Overtaking at Imola is notoriously difficult in the identical F3000 cars and processional races are common. But Interlagos winner Rodrigo Sperafico, who will line-up second to Bourdais tomorrow, has one big hope.

"If the race is in the dry, for sure it will not be easy to fight on this circuit," he said. "But if it is wet, then anything can happen."

For qualifying 2 times click here.