Summary:

Michael Schumacher was fastest in the morning session and in the afternoon for a long time in his Ferrari, with a best time of 1:29.799, until Briton Damon Hill outpaced him with a 1:29.694 on a very slippery dry Argentine circuit.

Arrows driver Jos Verstappen did an excellent job in the morning with a fourth best time but had to park his car on the grass in the afternoon early in the session, making it not possible for him improve.

Mika Salo posted an outstanding fifth fastest time of the day in his Tyrrell-Yamaha with a 1:30.497.

Villeneuve is again having a difficult time adapting to the circuit, he came to a best of 1:31.082, the 11th time of the day.

Notes:

Everybody had a difficult time getting to grip with the very bumpy circuit, there was a fast number of spins: Coulthard, Villeneuve, Berger, Marques, Alesi, Diniz, Hill and Irvine. Schumacher, Rosset and Coulthard went through the grass when they braked too late.

Sauber driver Johnny Herbert went through the gravel trap at the end of the afternoon session.

The Jordan-Peugeot team drove with a midwing construction similar to the one McLaren used last year.

Japanese driver Taki Inoue has found his wallet again and will be driving the second Minardi at the European Grand Prix at Nurburgring (Germany).

Top six:

1. Hill (Williams-Renault)
2. Schumacher (Ferrari)
3. Alesi (Benetton-Renault)
4. Hakkinen (McLaren-Mercedes)
5. Salo (Tyrrell-Yamaha)
6. Frentzen (Sauber-Ford)