Friday April 12th, 2002

By Will Gray

Ferrari star Michael Schumacher gave his team's rain-soaked home crowd something to smile about at an overcast Imola circuit on Friday by topping the times in first practice for the San Marino Grand Prix.

Despite temperatures failing to reach double figures around the gloomy track, the 'Tifosi' were out in force to watch their heroes take first blood in the battle with rivals Williams-BMW as Brazilian Rubens Barrichello followed his German teammate to third, behind the Jordan-Honda of Italian Giancarlo Fisichella.

In fact, German Ralf Schumacher was the only Williams-BMW driver to make it into the top ten, claiming eighth fastest time despite taking to the grass two times and beaching himself in the gravel at the end of the session.

His Colombian teammate Juan Pablo Montoya also spun his car, between turns 11 and 12, and languished in an unfamiliar 19th place after completing ten laps.

Finn Kimi Raikkonen finished one place behind Barrichello in fourth for McLaren-Mercedes, with German Heinz-Harald Frentzen fifth fastest for Arrows and Italian Jarno Trulli completing the top six in his Renault.

Grand Prix new boy Felipe Massa had no problems with the rain and finished seventh fastest, one ahead of Schumacher as Briton David Coulthard, in the McLaren-Mercedes, and Massa's German teammate Nick Heidfeld completed the top ten.

The session was slow to get going and, with 15 minutes gone, struggling Japanese driver Takuma Sato, who ended 11th in the Jordan, had two claims to fame - as the only man to have completed a lap and the only man to have spun in the tricky conditions.

But he was soon joined by drivers on each side of the experience scale before the half hour mark was reached, with Minardi newcomer Mark Webber going over his limit and former World Champion Jacques Villeneuve being caught out twice on the same lap in his BAR.

Sato had another mishap late on in the session, and Ulsterman Eddie Irvine completely missed turn seven as he pushed his Jaguar towards a midfield finish at the end of the session.

Pos  Driver        Team                    Times                 
 1.  M.Schumacher  Ferrari            (B)  1:37.486  182.168 km/h
 2.  Fisichella    Jordan Honda       (B)  1:38.093    +    0.607
 3.  Barrichello   Ferrari            (B)  1:38.274    +    0.788
 4.  Raikkonen     McLaren Mercedes   (M)  1:38.773    +    1.287
 5.  Frentzen      Arrows Cosworth    (B)  1:39.158    +    1.672
 6.  Trulli        Renault            (M)  1:39.204    +    1.718
 7.  Massa         Sauber Petronas    (B)  1:39.767    +    2.281
 8.  R.Schumacher  Williams BMW       (M)  1:39.945    +    2.459
 9.  Coulthard     McLaren Mercedes   (M)  1:39.952    +    2.466
10.  Heidfeld      Sauber Petronas    (B)  1:39.971    +    2.485
11.  Sato          Jordan Honda       (B)  1:40.334    +    2.848
12.  Irvine        Jaguar Cosworth    (M)  1:40.551    +    3.065
13.  de la Rosa    Jaguar Cosworth    (M)  1:40.809    +    3.323
14.  Button        Renault            (M)  1:40.958    +    3.472
15.  Panis         BAR Honda          (B)  1:41.694    +    4.208
16.  Villeneuve    BAR Honda          (B)  1:41.864    +    4.378
17.  Bernoldi      Arrows Cosworth    (B)  1:43.105    +    5.619
18.  Yoong         Minardi Asiatech   (M)  1:43.986    +    6.500
19.  Montoya       Williams BMW       (M)  1:44.071    +    6.585
20.  Webber        Minardi Asiatech   (M)  1:45.513    +    8.027
21.  Salo          Toyota             (M)  1:47.039    +    9.553
22.  McNish        Toyota             (M)  1:47.934    +   10.448

All Timing Unofficial

Published at 10:03:31 GMT

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