Saturday First Free Practice - US GP

Rubens Barrichello made it three out of three in Indianapolis on Saturday morning when he topped the day's first practice session ahead of qualifying for Sunday's United States Grand Prix.

Brazilian Barrichello, who finished fastest in both of the practice sessions on Friday, set a time of 1:10.911 - slower than his best previous session-topping time but good enough to lead the field.

Briton Jenson Button continued BAR-Honda's battle with Barrichello's Ferrari team when he finished just 0.160 seconds behind in second place to split the Ferraris and push German World Champion Michael Schumacher down to third.

Renault driver Fernando Alonso, of Spain, finished fourth despite damaging his car and losing a bargeboard when he hit a kerb. His time was more than half a second slower than that set by Barrichello.

German Ralf Schumacher finished fifth for Williams-BMW with Italian Jarno Trulli sixth in the second Renault and Japanese driver Takuma Sato seventh in the second BAR-Honda.

Brazilian Cristiano da Matta, of Toyota, Finn Kimi Raikkonen, of McLaren-Mercedes, and Jaguar-driving Australian Mark Webber rounded out the top ten times while the two Minardis beat the two Jordans at the bottom.

Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 1:10.911 9 2. Button BAR-Honda (M) 1:11.071 + 0.160 9 3. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:11.207 + 0.296 8 4. Alonso Renault (M) 1:11.509 + 0.598 12 5. R.Schumacher Williams-BMW (M) 1:11.671 + 0.760 14 6. Trulli Renault (M) 1:11.723 + 0.812 11 7. Sato BAR-Honda (M) 1:11.989 + 1.078 14 8. da Matta Toyota (M) 1:12.001 + 1.090 12 9. Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:12.015 + 1.104 7 10. Webber Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 1:12.128 + 1.217 6 11. Klien Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 1:12.147 + 1.236 6 12. Montoya Williams-BMW (M) 1:12.240 + 1.329 8 13. Fisichella Sauber-Petronas (B) 1:12.405 + 1.494 10 14. Panis Toyota (M) 1:12.451 + 1.540 14 15. Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:12.584 + 1.673 11 16. Massa Sauber-Petronas (B) 1:12.911 + 2.000 13 17. Bruni Minardi-Cosworth (B) 1:12.957 + 2.046 12 18. Baumgartner Minardi-Cosworth (B) 1:13.396 + 2.485 12 19. Heidfeld Jordan-Ford (B) 1:13.454 + 2.543 11 20. Pantano Jordan-Ford (B) 1:13.761 + 2.850 12 All timing unofficial