Saturday First Free Practice - British GP

Michael Schumacher was fastest despite spinning out of a rain-hit first free practice on Saturday for the British Grand Prix.

Schumacher completed just seven laps before he went off backwards into the gravel at Brooklands. His time of 1:31.430 was inevitably nowhere near breaking any records but the German was still 0.373 seconds quicker than second-fastest compatriot Heinz-Harald Frentzen in the Jordan.

McLaren's Mika Hakkinen was third fastest in 1:31.849. Briton David Coulthard did more than twice as many laps as Schumacher but also went out onto the gravel as many drivers found the soaked track hard to handle.

The Scot, 31 points behind Schumacher in the championship but seeking his third successive win at his home track on Sunday, was fourth fastest in 1:32.014.

Canadian Jacques Villeneuve did not complete a lap, stopping his British American Racing car at the pit exit and sitting out the rest of the session.

Giancarlo Fisichella was the next spinner, when he lost his Benetton on the exit of Stowe, and Juan Pablo Montoya also had a trip across the grass at Vale. Tarso Marques too had a spin and continued at Brooklands.

Nick Heidfeld spun as he exited Woodcote to ruin a timed lap, the flying Heinz-Harald Frentzen spun at Abbey, and both Kimi Raikkonen and Coulthard had late spins as the rain came down again.

The Williams cars ran true to expected form as they struggled with the wet conditions to end the session with Ralf Schumacher in eighth and Juan Pablo Montoya down in tenth.

Pos Driver Team Times 1. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:31.430 202.424 km/h 2. Frentzen Jordan Honda (B) 1:31.803 + 0.373 3. Hakkinen McLaren Mercedes (B) 1:31.849 + 0.419 4. Coulthard McLaren Mercedes (B) 1:32.014 + 0.584 5. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 1:32.128 + 0.698 6. Heidfeld Sauber Petronas (B) 1:33.837 + 2.407 7. Trulli Jordan Honda (B) 1:33.879 + 2.449 8. R.Schumacher Williams BMW (M) 1:34.248 + 2.818 9. Panis BAR Honda (B) 1:34.350 + 2.920 10. Montoya Williams BMW (M) 1:34.674 + 3.244 11. de la Rosa Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:35.157 + 3.727 12. Verstappen Arrows Asiatech (B) 1:35.173 + 3.743 13. Bernoldi Arrows Asiatech (B) 1:35.402 + 3.972 14. Raikkonen Sauber Petronas (B) 1:35.490 + 4.060 15. Fisichella Benetton Renault (M) 1:35.882 + 4.452 16. Alesi Prost Acer (M) 1:36.193 + 4.763 17. Button Benetton Renault (M) 1:37.374 + 5.944 18. Alonso Minardi European (M) 1:38.748 + 7.318 19. Burti Prost Acer (M) 1:39.935 + 8.505 20. Marques Minardi European (M) 1:40.199 + 8.769 21. Irvine Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:43.227 + 0:11.797 All Timing Unofficial