Jean Alesi produced a stunning lap today to lead opening free practice for his Formula One farewell in Japan on Sunday.
The Frenchman's time of one minute 35.454 seconds was half a second quicker than the Williams of Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya.
Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa was third for Jaguar in 1:36.225.
Finland's Mika Hakkinen was fourth fastest with his McLaren team mate David Coulthard, who lies second overall in the championship, seventh quickest.
The second session was halted with 15 minutes remaining, and before Alesi's fast lap, to clear up the mess left when German Nick Heidfeld spun his Sauber at speed into the tyre wall.
Heidfeld clambered quickly from the smouldering wreckage, his car left stranded in the middle of the track with its nose and front wheels ripped off, and sprinted for safety.
The day's first outing had also seen the red flags waved right at the end when Tomas Enge crashed his Prost heavily into the tyre wall.
The team said he had been "trying a little too hard."
Ferrari's world champion Michael Schumacher, who wrapped up the championship in Hungary in August, was fastest in the morning.
But the German, who completed 35 laps in all, ended the day only eighth fastest, just ahead of his brother Ralf in a Williams.
Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, in the second Ferrari and needing to win on Sunday to have any chance of leapfrogging Coulthard, was 10th fastest.