Session over with Rubens Barrichello ahead of Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard. Michael Schumacher, Olivier Panis and Heinz Harald Frentzen make the top 6. (Panis and Frentzen have equal times!)

30 min: Final lap for all the drivers on track. Coulthard stops on the track suffering from what appears to be engine problems as smoke is coming from the back of his car.

29 min: Michael Schumacher improves but remains in 4th. Luciano Burti is in last place this morning!

28 min: Final run for the drivers and the top 10 is Barrichello, Hakkinen, Coulthard, M Schumacher, Panis, Frentzen, R Schumacher, Trulli, Villeneuve and Heidfeld.

27 min: Rubens Barrichello goes fastest with a time of 1:20.680.

26 min: Frentzen takes 5th spot away from Ralf!

25 min: Ralf Schumacher improves to 5th fastest with a time of 1:21.886.

24 min: Raikkonen and Verstappen have completed the most number of laps with 13. Button is in 16th place.

23 min: Mika Hakkinen drops below the 1:21 mark with a time fo 1:20.901.

22 min: Jacques Villeneuve improves to 7th ahead of the Williams pair but Panis is half a second ahead possibly indicating 2 different strategies.

21 min: Jenson Button finally goes out on the track.

20 min: Top 10 - Coulthard, Hakkinen, M Schumacher, Panis, Barrichello, Frentzen, R Schumacher, Montoya, Villeneuve and Heidfeld.

20 min: 10 minutes remaining and Michael Schumacher moves into 3rd behind the 2 McLarens.

19 min: All the Bridgestone runners are on the harder compound which will allow some teams to go for a single stop.

18 min: Juan Pablo Montoya improves to 8th place just behind his team-mate.

17 min: Jarno Trulli currently in 10th has covered the most number of laps with 9.

16 min: David Coulthard moves into 1st place with a time of 1:21.148. Jenson Button has yet to complete a timed lap.

15 min: Top 10 - Hakkinen, Panis, Coulthard, Barrichello, Frentzen, M Schumacher, R Schumacher, Villeneuve, Heidfeld and Trulli.

14 min: Olivier Panis splits the 2 McLarens and moves into 2nd place with a time of 1:21.558!

13 min: Michael Schumacher moves into 5th on his first timed lap and his brother Ralf follows him in 6th.

12 min: Jacques Villeneuve improves to 5th while his team-mate Olivier Panis has yet to put in a timed lap.

11 min: Mika Hakkinen tops the timesheets with a time of 1:21.216 followed by Coulthard with a time of 1:21.760.

10 min: Top 6 - Frentzen, Trulli, Verstappen, Montoya, Villeneuve and Raikkonen.

9 min: Jos Verstappen moves into 2nd with a time of 1:23.240.

8 min: Raikkonen returned to the pits on his fast lap. Frentzen goes fastest with a time of 1:22.040.

7 min: Juan Pablo Montoya goes fastest with a time of 1:24.061 followed by Raikkonen with a 1:27.633.

6 min: Juan Pablo Montoya and Giancarlo Fisichella join them.

5 min: Mika Hakkinen, Jarno Trulli and Enrique Bernoldi are back on the track.

4 min: Eddie Irvine sets the first timed lap of the session with a time of 1:29.993 as he returns to the pits on his second lap.

3 min: Eddie Irvine stays on the track while the rest of the field return to the pits. Those with spare cars go out again to shake down the spare.

1 min: Michael Schumacher and Jean Alesi have yet to go out on the track.

Session underway and the cars go out on their installation lap

The weather forecast is for partly cloudy conditions and a top temperature of 16 degrees. It is already 14 degrees. There is a small chance of rain. Session starting in 8 minutes.

Warm-up session starting at 9:30 AM local time. That is 7:30 AM GMT, click here for the local time at Barcelona now