Friday First Free Practice - Austrian GP

McLaren drivers Mika Hakkinen and David Coulthard dominated Friday's first practice session for the Austrian Grand Prix as they occupied the top two places on the timesheet. Finn Hakkinen was quickest, just under three tenths of a second faster than team mate Coulthard.

Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello was one of the last drivers on track, but managed to move up to third place by the end, almost four tenths of a second faster than Sauber's Kimi Raikkonen in an impressive fourth.

Ralf Schumacher managed to beat his brother Michael to fifth spot after the latter's car slowed on his final run while Enrique Bernoldi and Jos Verstappen brightened the mood at Arrows by finishing the session comfortably in the top ten.

Soon after the session began Juan Pablo Montoya slid off the circuit after completing just four laps but recovered and returned his Williams to the pits. Verstappen also had a slight off and Jordan's Jarno Trulli was close to hitting the barriers when he spun at turn one, but he too recovered to return to the pits.

Almost half the session was gone before there was any sight of a Ferrari or a McLaren, and Trulli led Ralf Schumacher and Nick Heidfeld at the top. Eddie Irvine continued to suffer in the Jaguar, and he struggled to control the car he could only put into the lower midfield placings.

Briton Jenson Button once again struggled in an inefficient-looking Benetton which remains well off the pace. After moving into third fastest position, Ralf Schumacher had a little spin in the Williams and just managed to keep his car out of the gravel to continue.

But Jean Alesi had a more terminal problem when his Acer engine blew on the pit straight. In the late position shuffles Hakkinen, Barrichello and Raikkonen all benefitted but Coulthard's late run moved him up to second in the end.

Pos Driver Team Times 1. Hakkinen Mclaren Mercedes (B) 1:11.751 217.051 km/h 2. Coulthard Mclaren Mercedes (B) 1:12.036 + 0.285 3. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 1:12.222 + 0.471 4. Raikkonen Sauber Petronas (B) 1:12.617 + 0.866 5. R.Schumacher Williams BMW (M) 1:12.668 + 0.917 6. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:12.851 + 1.100 7. Bernoldi Arrows Asiatech (B) 1:12.853 + 1.102 8. Panis BAR Honda (B) 1:12.954 + 1.203 9. Verstappen Arrows Asiatech (B) 1:13.024 + 1.273 10. Heidfeld Sauber Petronas (B) 1:13.259 + 1.508 11. Trulli Jordan Honda (B) 1:13.315 + 1.564 12. Montoya Williams BMW (M) 1:13.366 + 1.615 13. Villeneuve BAR Honda (B) 1:13.492 + 1.741 14. Irvine Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:14.027 + 2.276 15. de la Rosa Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:14.636 + 2.885 16. Alesi Prost Acer (M) 1:14.742 + 2.991 17. Burti Prost Acer (M) 1:15.086 + 3.335 18. Fisichella Benetton Renault (M) 1:15.256 + 3.505 19. Button Benetton Renault (M) 1:15.570 + 3.819 20. Alonso Minardi European (M) 1:15.945 + 4.194 21. Marques Minardi European (M) 1:15.965 + 4.214 22. Frentzen Jordan Honda (B) 1:21.728 + 9.977 All Timing Unofficial