Michael Schumacher has set up a qualifying showdown with Williams' in-form duo ahead of Sunday's British Grand Prix.
As current championship leader, Schumacher was first onto the Silverstone track for today's initial qualifying session, posting a time of one minute 19.474 seconds in his Ferrari which none of his rivals could beat.
Providing the inclement British weather does not turn qualifying two into a lottery then five-times world champion Schumacher will have the advantage of going out last and knowing exactly the target required to claim the 55th pole of his career.
But brother Ralf and Williams team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya, who have finished one-two in the last two grand prix to turn this year's title race into a four-way scrap, will be the men certain to set the pace around the 3.194-mile circuit.
Montoya was second quickest today clocking 1:19.749, while hat-trick hopeful Ralf Schumacher was a further 0.039secs adrift.
Kimi Raikkonen, second in the drivers' standings and trailing Schumacher by eight points, posted a disastrous time of 1:21.065 to finish 12th.
The Finn was not helped by the fact he almost twice lost his McLaren on a damp track following a rain shower before the hour-long session.
Raikkonen at least faired better than Rubens Barrichello, who was on course to set the second quickest time until missing his braking point as he turned into Brooklands.
Barrichello was unable to prevent his Ferrari from trundling into the gravel where he beached the car and needed to be rescued by a crane, meaning the Brazilian will now be second out tomorrow after Justin Wilson who failed to even complete his out lap as his Minardi broke down.
The best of the Britons was two-time former British GP winner David Coulthard who was was forced to settle for seventh behind the Renaults of Fernando Alonso and Jarno Trulli who surprisingly sandwiched Olivier Panis in his Toyota.
Coulthard was almost 0.5secs off the pace, with Jenson Button in his BAR just over a second down in ninth, but again better than team-mate Jacques Villeneuve in 12th.
Ralf Firman's struggles continued as he was almost three seconds down on Schumacher in 17th in his Jordan, and 0.8secs behind team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella.