Saturday First Free Practice - Canadian GP

World Champion Michael Schumacher continued his strong performance at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Saturday when he finished fastest in the first morning practice ahead of Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix.

Schumacher put in a late lap of 1:13.865 - the fastest of the weekend - to move 0.081 seconds ahead of Spaniard Fernando Alonso, who finished second on Friday for Renault.

British BAR-Honda driver Jenson Button, who has been tipped to challenge for at least pole position and possibly victory this weekend, finished third fastest, just 0.182 seconds behind Schumacher.

Brazilian Rubens Barrichello finished fourth quickest in the second Ferrari but was almost half a second off the pace and Italian Jarno Trulli secured fifth place for Renault.

McLaren-Mercedes pair Finn Kimi Raikkonen and Scot David Coulthard were sixth and seventh with Williams-BMW pair Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya and German Ralf Schumacher eighth and ninth and Italian Giancarlo Fisichella tenth for Sauber.

BAR-Honda driver Takuma Sato failed to set a time in the incident-free session after completing four out-and-in laps and will be hoping for better luck in the second 45-minute run.

Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:13.865 13 2. Alonso Renault (M) 1:13.946 + 0.081 9 3. Button BAR-Honda (M) 1:14.047 + 0.182 10 4. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 1:14.284 + 0.419 12 5. Trulli Renault (M) 1:14.421 + 0.556 11 6. Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:14.584 + 0.719 7 7. Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:14.747 + 0.882 7 8. Montoya Williams-BMW (M) 1:15.067 + 1.202 17 9. R.Schumacher Williams-BMW (M) 1:15.191 + 1.326 13 10. Fisichella Sauber-Petronas (B) 1:15.290 + 1.425 10 11. da Matta Toyota (M) 1:15.573 + 1.708 13 12. Massa Sauber-Petronas (B) 1:15.764 + 1.899 16 13. Panis Toyota (M) 1:15.843 + 1.978 13 14. Webber Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 1:15.854 + 1.989 6 15. Klien Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 1:16.124 + 2.259 10 16. Heidfeld Jordan-Ford (B) 1:16.305 + 2.440 15 17. Glock Jordan-Ford (B) 1:16.928 + 3.063 13 18. Bruni Minardi-Cosworth (B) 1:18.409 + 4.544 15 19. Baumgartner Minardi-Cosworth (B) 1:18.711 + 4.846 15 20. Sato BAR-Honda (M) No Time 4 All timing unofficial