Saturday April 13th, 2002

Reigning World Champion Michael Schumacher delighted his home Ferrari crowd by powering past last year's pole position time as he topped the timesheets in Saturday's final practice session before qualifying for the San Marino Grand Prix.

Despite increasing temperatures, which are thought to favour the Michelin runners, the German ensured the smiles stayed with his fanatical supporters as he placed his Bridgestone-shod F2002 fastest for the third time in four sessions.

Briton David Coulthard, who started from pole position last year, led the chase of the lead Ferrari in his McLaren-Mercedes, and he was only three tenths of a second behind his rival in second.

Brazilian Rubens Barrichello took up his now familiar third place for Ferrari as the times continued to fall with temperatures at the Imola track reaching 17 degrees by the end of the session.

German star Nick Heidfeld claimed fourth fastest time for Sauber as he led last year's winner, German Ralf Schumacher, in fifth with his Williams-BMW teammate Juan Pablo Montoya, in sixth.

Finn Kimi Raikkonen made sure the top three teams claimed six of the top seven times by finishing one spot behind Montoya, with Jenson Button posting a late time to prove Renault, who have so far been off the pace, will still present a challenge to the leading teams.

British American Racing Honda continued their promising form, with Canadian Jacques Villeneuve ninth and Frenchman Olivier Panis eleventh, split by the impressive German Heinz-Harald Frentzen in the Arrows.

Brazilian Felipe Massa finished last but one after trouble during the session saw him stop briefly out on the track before returning to the pits and missing the rest of the practice.

Ferrari driver Schumacher had his second spin of the weekend, while Alex Yoong, in the Minardi, also had trouble staying on track and finished the session in last place.

Pos  Driver        Team                    Times                 
 1.  M.Schumacher  Ferrari            (B)  1:23.046  213.843 km/h
 2.  Coulthard     McLaren Mercedes   (M)  1:23.550    +    0.504
 3.  Barrichello   Ferrari            (B)  1:23.675    +    0.629
 4.  Heidfeld      Sauber Petronas    (B)  1:23.695    +    0.649
 5.  R.Schumacher  Williams BMW       (M)  1:23.900    +    0.854
 6.  Montoya       Williams BMW       (M)  1:24.078    +    1.032
 7.  Raikkonen     McLaren Mercedes   (M)  1:24.651    +    1.605
 8.  Button        Renault            (M)  1:24.785    +    1.739
 9.  Villeneuve    BAR Honda          (B)  1:24.965    +    1.919
10.  Frentzen      Arrows Cosworth    (B)  1:25.178    +    2.132
11.  Panis         BAR Honda          (B)  1:25.363    +    2.317
12.  Trulli        Renault            (M)  1:25.520    +    2.474
13.  Fisichella    Jordan Honda       (B)  1:25.542    +    2.496
14.  Sato          Jordan Honda       (B)  1:25.576    +    2.530
15.  Irvine        Jaguar Cosworth    (M)  1:25.766    +    2.720
16.  Bernoldi      Arrows Cosworth    (B)  1:25.781    +    2.735
17.  Salo          Toyota             (M)  1:25.951    +    2.905
18.  de la Rosa    Jaguar Cosworth    (M)  1:26.399    +    3.353
19.  Webber        Minardi Asiatech   (M)  1:27.022    +    3.976
20.  McNish        Toyota             (M)  1:27.138    +    4.092
21.  Massa         Sauber Petronas    (B)  1:27.282    +    4.236
22.  Yoong         Minardi Asiatech   (M)  1:28.993    +    5.947

All Timing Unofficial

Published at 09:02:48 GMT

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