Final Order: Michael Schumacher ahead of Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard. Rubens Barrichello, Ralf Schumacher and Giancarlo Fisichella make the top 6.

58 min: Final laps for several drivers on the track.

56 min: Michael Schumacher goes fastest with a time of 1:38.474. Rubens Barrichello spins and is stuck in the gravel trap. Session over for him.

55 min: Top 10 - Hakkinen, M Schumacher, Coulthard, Barrichello, R Schumacher, Fisichella, Frentzen, Irvine, Trulli and Villeneuve.

54 min: Frentzen improves to 7th place with a time of 1:40.756.

53 min: Eddie Irvine moves into 7th position. Irvine usually does well here at Suzuka.

52 min: Michael Schumacher is back on the track. Fisichella improves but remains in 6th position.

51 min: Heinz Harald Frentzen moves into 8th place with a time of 1:41.428.

49 min: Ralf Schumacher improves his time to 1:40.429 but remains in 5th position.

47 min: It's gone a bit quite now with only Trulli on the track. Alexander Wurz is in last place with a time of 1:51.492. Mazzacane stops on the track with a problem.

45 min: Top 10 - Hakkinen, M Schumacher, Coulthard, Barrichello, R Schumacher, Trulli, Fisichella, Villeneuve, Irvine and Alesi.

45 min: Schumacher improves his time to 1:39.027 but Hakkinen retakes top spot with a time of 1:38.967. The times are dropping fast!.

44 min: Villeneuve spins but recovers. Trulli sets his first time in 10th place (1:41.867) while Frentzen appears to be struggling in 20th (1:44.264).

43 min: Michael Schumacher goes fastest of all on his first timed lap. He sets a time of 1:39.130. He is superfast.

42 min: Coulthard goes fastest and the first under the 1:40 mark but Hakkinen goes faster moments later with a time of 1:39.615.

40 min: Rubens Barrichello takes the top spot with a time of 1:40.000. Top 10 - Barrichello, Hakkinen, Coulthard, R Schumacher, Fisichella, Villeneuve, Irvine, Herbert, Zonta and de la Rosa. Only M Schumacher, Trulli and Wurz have yet to set timed laps.

39 min: Mika Hakkinen moves to the top spot on his first timed lap with a time of 1:40.056. David Coulthard is second and Ralf Schumacher moves into 3rd with a time of 1:41.394.

38 min: A lot of cars on the track and the top 6 is changing every minute. David Coulthard improves his time to 1:40.363.

36 min: Fisichella improves to 2nd with a time of 1:41.449 while Barrichello moves into 4th with a time of 1:41.754.

34 min: Top 6 - Coulthard, Villeneuve, de la Rosa, Button, Fisichella and Heidfeld. Barrichello goes out for his first timed lap.

33 min: David Coulthard goes fastest with a time of 1:40.755 while Giancarlo Fisichella goes 4th with a time of 1:42.561.

31 min: David Coulthard and Giancarlo Fisichella start their first timed lap and so does Heinz Harald Frentzen.

30 min: Top 6 - Villeneuve, Button, Zonta, Diniz, Heidfeld and Gene.

28 min: Pedro Diniz moves into 4th with a time of 1:43.221 while Marc Gene improves his time to 1:43.836 but remains in 6th position.

27 min: Pedro Diniz starts his first timed lap.

26 min: Marc Gene sets a time of 1:45.134 and moves into 5th position. Top 6 - Villeneuve, Button, Zonta, Heidfeld, Gene and Mazzacane.

25 min: Jenson Button moves into second with a time of 1:42.553 a full second behind the BAR of Villeneuve.

24 min: Jacques Villeneuve goes faster than the fastest time on Friday last year. His time is now 1:41.488.

22 min: Villeneuve improves again with a time of 1:42.259 and Zonta goes second with a time of 1:42.979. BAR are looking good on Honda's home ground. Marc Gene starts his first timed lap.

20 min: Villeneuve goes fastest with a time of 1:42.412 followed by Heidfeld, Zonta, Button and Mazzacane. Only 5 drivers have set times so far.

19 min: Zonta goes fastest with a time of 1:43.697 only for Heidfeld to go even better with a time of 1:43.510.

18 min: Jacques Villeneuve goes fastest with a time of 1:43.776. Button sets a time of 1:45.924 and moves into 3rd. Ricardo Zonta goes out for his first timed lap.

16 min: Nick Heidfeld improves to 1:44.418 while Jacques Villeneuve and Jenson Button start their first timed laps..

14 min: Mazzacane improves again to 1:46.645 while Nick Heidfeld sets a time of 1:45.549.

12 min: Alexander Wurz goes out on the track for his installation lap as Michael Schumacher returns to the pits.

12 min: Nick Heidfeld starts his first timed lap.

11 min: Gaston Mazzacane improves to 1:47.077. No other driver has set a time so far.

10 min: Michael Schumacher goes out on the track for his installation lap.

9 min: Gaston Mazzacane sets a time of 1:48.535

7 min: Gaston Mazzacane starts his first timed lap of the session.

5 min: Mika Hakkinen practices a pit stop as he completes his installation lap. Michael Schumacher has yet to go out on the track.

3 min: Mika Hakkinen, Jarno Trulli and Rubens Barrichello go out on the track. Not lap times set yet.

1 min: David Coulthard also goes out very early in the session and so does Fisichella. The drivers usually perform an installation lap and go back to the pits.

Session underway with Ricardo Zonta the first to go out on the track. He is followed by Salo, Mazzacane, Frentzen and Villeneuve.

This race could be the championship decider for both Drivers' and Constructors'. There is also a strong fight for 4th in the Constructors' championship between Benetton, Jordan and BAR. Session starting in 2 minutes

Session starting in 5 minutes. Weather conditions: Partly cloudy with a temperature of 19 degrees.