Friday Free Practice - Canadian GP

Brazilian Antonio Pizzonia used a dry track to top Friday's practice at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve ahead of this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix after rain fell early to prevent drivers making improvements during the session.

Jaguar driver Pizzonia set the fastest time of 1:16.621 but the sunshine seen in the morning testing session had already been replaced by threatening clouds and rain began 11 minutes into practice.

By the end of the session, drivers were setting times 15 seconds slower than Pizzonia's early effort as the rain continued to fall and the track became increasingly sodden ahead of the afternoon qualifying session.

Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya finished second in his Williams-BMW after an early lap put him 0.595 seconds behind Pizzonia while World Champion Michael Schumacher finished third in his Ferrari.

Australian Mark Webber, who brushed the wall at the final corner in the morning testing session, was fourth in the second Jaguar with Frenchman Olivier Panis fifth for Toyota.

Ralf Schumacher, of Williams-BMW, and Jordan-Ford's Ralph Firman were sixth and seventh with McLaren-Mercedes pair Finn Kimi Raikkonen and Scot David Coulthard eighth and ninth and Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello completing the top ten.

No driver improved his time in the latter session but it did offer the teams crucial minutes to develop their wet-weather set-ups in preparation for Friday' qualifying session to decide the running order for Saturday qualifying.

Several drivers, including World Champion Schumacher, local favourite Jacques Villeneuve, of BAR-Honda, and Scot Coulthard, lost control of their cars in the tricky conditions.

Briton Jenson Button finished 18th fastest on his return to the cockpit of his BAR-Honda after his crash at Monaco, but he was unable to show his true performance as he did not make it out before the rain began to fall.

Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Pizzonia Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:16.621 204.899 km/h 11 2. Montoya Williams BMW (M) 1:17.216 + 0.595 16 3. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:17.228 + 0.607 17 4. Webber Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:17.344 + 0.723 13 5. Panis Toyota (M) 1:17.464 + 0.843 16 6. R.Schumacher Williams BMW (M) 1:17.894 + 1.273 21 7. Firman Jordan Ford (B) 1:17.973 + 1.352 12 8. Raikkonen McLaren Mercedes (M) 1:18.155 + 1.534 16 9. Coulthard McLaren Mercedes (M) 1:18.165 + 1.544 16 10. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 1:18.240 + 1.619 24 11. da Matta Toyota (M) 1:18.559 + 1.938 23 12. Wilson Minardi Cosworth (B) 1:18.586 + 1.965 16 13. Villeneuve BAR Honda (B) 1:18.716 + 2.095 19 14. Frentzen Sauber Petronas (B) 1:19.765 + 3.144 21 15. Heidfeld Sauber Petronas (B) 1:23.061 + 6.440 17 16. Verstappen Minardi Cosworth (B) 1:24.571 + 7.950 15 17. Fisichella Jordan Ford (B) 1:28.141 + 11.520 11 18. Button BAR Honda (B) 1:28.872 + 12.251 14 19. Alonso Renault (M) 1:31.658 + 15.037 8 20. Trulli Renault (M) 1:32.552 + 15.931 8 All Timing Unofficial