Michael Schumacher's Ferrari set the pace in this morning's free practice sessions while the DHL Jordan Hondas of Giancarlo Fisichella and Takuma Sato slipped down the pecking order as the track dried out.  The Jordan pair had been among the very quickest cars on the circuit during the first 45 minute session, Fisichella regularly in the top six throughout, but with the sun beating down the track soon dried and Jordan's rivals leapt ahead.

Fisichella spun off 13 minutes before the end of the session, robbing him of any opportunity to improve his times.  He was 13th fastest with team mate Takuma Sato right behind, only 0.034s slower.

"I was happy to do some running on a dry track as it looks it will be dry for qualifying and I wouldn't have wanted to go into it without having run in the dry this morning," said Sato.  "The track was still wet at the Acqua Minerale chicance, but other than that it was ok."

Nick Heidfeld showed well with fourth fastest time, team mate Felipe Massa right down the field after missing track time in the second session.  Also well placed this morning were Jacques Villeneuve's BAR-Honda in 9th and Heinz-Harald Frentzen's Arrows in 10th.  The clear blue skies suggest qualifying will be held in dry and sunny conditions, though rain is forecast to return for tomorrow's race.