Friday First Free Practice - Malaysian GP

Brazilian Rubens Barrichello topped the times on Friday when he clocked the fastest lap in his Ferrari in opening free practice for Sunday's Malaysian Grand Prix.

Barrichello outpaced his Ferrari teammate, World Champion Michael Schumacher, with a best lap of 1:39.502.

This left him just six-tenths of a second clear of third placed Italian Jarno Trulli in a Jordan Honda with Briton David Coulthard fourth, very close behind, in the leading McLaren Mercedes-Benz.

Eddie Irvine was fifth fastest in his Jaguar, but was forced to park his car out on the track in the closing stages of a session run mostly in very hot and humid conditions on another sweltering day at the Sepang circuit close to Kuala Lumpur international airport.

The session saw both Arrows make early retirements with gearbox problems which forced them to park their cars and trudge across the vast gravel traps in the heat.

Juan-Pablo Montoya failed to record a lap time due to a fuel pump failure.

Pos. Driver Team Times 1. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 1:39.502 200.547 km/h 2. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:40.123 + 0.621 3. Trulli Jordan Honda (B) 1:40.135 + 0.633 4. Coulthard McLaren Mercedes (B) 1:40.490 + 0.988 5. Irvine Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:41.000 + 1.498 6. Frentzen Jordan Honda (B) 1:41.007 + 1.505 7. Hakkinen McLaren Mercedes (B) 1:41.008 + 1.506 8. Panis BAR Honda (B) 1:41.063 + 1.561 9. Burti Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:41.443 + 1.941 10. Heidfeld Sauber Petronas (B) 1:41.866 + 2.364 11. Raikkonen Sauber Petronas (B) 1:42.221 + 2.719 12. Alesi Prost Acer (M) 1:42.299 + 2.797 13. Villeneuve BAR Honda (B) 1:42.309 + 2.807 14. R.Schumacher Williams BMW (M) 1:42.718 + 3.216 15. Fisichella Benetton Renault (M) 1:43.045 + 3.543 16. Marques European Minardi (M) 1:43.177 + 3.675 17. Mazzacane Prost Acer (M) 1:44.380 + 4.878 18. Verstappen Arrows Asiatech (B) 1:45.175 + 5.673 19. Bernoldi Arrows Asiatech (B) 1:46.627 + 7.125 20. Button Benetton Renault (M) 1:48.547 + 9.045 21. Alonso European Minardi (M) 12:44.956 + 11:05.454 22. Montoya Williams BMW (M) No Time All timing unofficial