Ferrari's world champion Michael Schumacher was fastest despite spinning out of a rain-hit first free practice this morning for the British Formula One Grand Prix.
Schumacher, always impressive in the wet, completed just seven laps before he went off backwards into the gravel at Brooklands.
His time of one minute 31.430 was inevitably nowhere near breaking any records but the German was still 0.373 seconds quicker than second-fastest compatriot Heinz-Harald Frentzen in the Jordan.
McLaren's Mika Hakkinen, the twice world champion whose title hopes have evaporated this season, was third fastest in 1:31.849.
Briton David Coulthard did more than twice as many laps as Schumacher but also went out onto the gravel as many drivers found the soaked track hard to handle.
The Scot, 31 points behind Schumacher in the championship but seeking his third successive win at his home track on Sunday, was fourth fastest in 1:32.014.
Canadian Jacques Villeneuve did not complete a lap, stopping his BAR at the pit exit and sitting out the rest of the session.