Friday First Free Practice

Juan Pablo Montoya set the pace in the opening practice session for the Brazilian Grand Prix as he made the perfect start to his final race with Williams-BMW.

Montoya moved to the top of the times in the closing minutes of the session and finished just 0.067 seconds ahead of Toyota's young Australian test driver Ryan Briscoe.

Ralf Schumacher completed a positive start for Williams in third place with McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen fourth fastest for McLaren.

Raikkonen and teammate David Coulthard had both offered a warning of McLaren's potential at Interlagos when they went top of the times with their first flying lap.

David Coulthard, who is still without a drive for 2005 with Juan Pablo Montoya due to replace him at McLaren, finished sixth fastest overall behind BAR-Honda test driver Anthony Davidson.

Jarno Trulli was seventh for Toyota, Takuma Sato ended eighth in his BAR-Honda, home favourite Rubens Barrichello the ninth quickest for Ferrari with Renault's Fernando Alonso completing the top-ten.

Barrichello's World Champion teammate Michael Schumacher could only set the 11th best time almost a second-and-a-half off the pace set by Montoya. BAR-Honda's Jenson Button was 14th in the times.

Minardi's third driver Bas Leinders failed to set a lap time after completing only one installation lap late in the session.

Christian Klien spun his Jaguar into the opening corner with 19 minutes remaining of the session, but the Austrian was able to continue, while Toyota's Trulli also had a spin at turn 8.

Trulli's teammate Ricardo Zonta, driving in his home race, lost the rear end of his Toyota's heading into the Descida do Lago corner and spun before returning to the track.

Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Montoya Williams-BMW (M) 1:12.547 11 2. Briscoe Toyota (M) 1:12.614 + 0.067 25 3. R.Schumacher Williams-BMW (M) 1:12.873 + 0.326 12 4. Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:13.150 + 0.603 4 5. Davidson BAR-Honda (M) 1:13.232 + 0.685 22 6. Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:13.277 + 0.730 6 7. Trulli Toyota (M) 1:13.512 + 0.965 15 8. Sato BAR-Honda (M) 1:13.839 + 1.292 10 9. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 1:13.855 + 1.308 13 10. Alonso Renault (M) 1:13.990 + 1.443 12 11. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:14.042 + 1.495 13 12. Fisichella Sauber-Petronas (B) 1:14.118 + 1.571 14 13. Webber Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 1:14.147 + 1.600 9 14. Button BAR-Honda (M) 1:14.187 + 1.640 13 15. Zonta Toyota (M) 1:14.207 + 1.660 14 16. Massa Sauber-Petronas (B) 1:14.479 + 1.932 13 17. Villeneuve Renault (M) 1:14.585 + 2.038 13 18. Doornbos Jordan-Ford (B) 1:14.957 + 2.419 27 19. Wirdheim Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 1:15.065 + 2.518 24 20. Heidfeld Jordan-Ford (B) 1:15.414 + 2.867 12 21. Klien Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 1:15.476 + 2.929 15 22. Baumgartner Minardi-Cosworth (B) 1:15.490 + 2.943 12 23. Glock Jordan-Ford (B) 1:15.647 + 3.100 18 24. Bruni Minardi-Cosworth (B) 1:16.406 + 3.859 13 25. Leinders Minardi-Cosworth (B) No Time All timing unofficial