Saturday First Free Practice - French GP

World Champion Michael Schumacher restored normal order in Saturday's first morning practice session for the French Grand Prix, as he set the pace ahead of McLaren-Mercedes' David Coulthard.

Ferrari's Schumacher, winner of eight of the nine Grands Prix this season, posted a time of 1:14.944 around the Magny-Cours circuit to head Coulthard by 0.458 seconds.

Coulthard, debuting McLaren's new MP4-19B car, was just 0.021 seconds ahead of Renault's Jarno Trulli, whose teammate Fernando Alonso ended fourth quickest overall.

Toyota driver Olivier Panis was fifth in the session with Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello sixth, Williams' Juan Pablo Montoya seventh and Jaguar driver Mark Webber eighth.

Sabuber's Giancarlo Fisichella was ninth with BAR-Honda's Jenson Button completing the top-ten, but 1.360 seconds down on Schumacher. Williams' Marc Gene, in for the injured Ralf Schumacher, was 13th.

Fisichella had spun at turn 13 early in the session but was able to continue, while Trulli was forced off the circuit briefly after braking late at the same corner.

Kimi Raikkonen turned just an installation lap in his McLaren-Mercedes before sitting out the remaining session in the garage while his car was worked on by mechanics.

Drivers have the opportunity to finalise their tyre choices for qualifying and the race during the morning's two practice sessions, after the FIA deemed Friday's practice hours as wet sessions.

Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:14.944 12 2. Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:15.402 + 0.458 11 3. Trulli Renault (M) 1:15.423 + 0.479 11 4. Alonso Renault (M) 1:15.434 + 0.490 15 5. Panis Toyota (M) 1:15.478 + 0.534 14 6. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 1:15.500 + 0.556 14 7. Montoya Williams-BMW (M) 1:15.529 + 0.585 16 8. Webber Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 1:15.907 + 0.963 8 9. Fisichella Sauber-Petronas (B) 1:15.910 + 0.966 11 10. Button BAR-Honda (M) 1:16.304 + 1.360 15 11. da Matta Toyota (M) 1:16.384 + 1.440 17 12. Sato BAR-Honda (M) 1:16.569 + 1.625 16 13. Gene Williams-BMW (M) 1:16.608 + 1.664 18 14. Massa Sauber-Petronas (B) 1:16.619 + 1.675 14 15. Klien Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 1:16.669 + 1.725 27 16. Bruni Minardi-Cosworth (B) 1:17.174 + 2.230 15 17. Pantano Jordan-Ford (B) 1:17.399 + 2.455 19 18. Baumgartner Minardi-Cosworth (B) 1:17.731 + 2.787 14 19. Heidfeld Jordan-Ford (B) 1:17.846 + 2.902 16 20. Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes (M) No Time All timing unofficial