Friday Free Practice - Italian GP

Rubens Barrichello led a Ferrari one-two in front of their tifosi at Monza on Friday as he topped the times in the first practice session for this Sunday's Italian Grand Prix.

Brazilian Barrichello set a time of 1:21.001 to finish 0.151 seconds faster than World Championship leading teammate Michael Schumacher as the Italian team put in the ideal preparation session for the crucial race weekend.

Schumacher currently leads the title race by just one point from Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya and the Williams-BMW driver kept the pressure on his German rival by finishing fourth fastest.

Finn Kimi Raikkonen, who is just one point further behind Schumacher, also showed his McLaren-Mercedes should be on the pace this weekend by finishing third, 0.317 seconds behind Barrichello and 0.238 seconds ahead of Montoya.

Scot David Coulthard, in the second McLaren, finished fifth fastest with Brazilian Cristiano da Matta, of Toyota, sixth. Briton Jenson Button seventh for BAR-Honda with teammate Jacques Villeneuve 15th after a spin.

German Ralf Schumacher returned to the cockpit for the first time since his horrific testing accident at Monza last week and set the ninth fastest time of the session but was 1.311 seconds off the pace.

Spaniard Fernando Alonso was eighth fastest with his Italian Renault teammate Jarno Trulli, who topped the morning's private testing session, completing the top ten.

Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 1:21.001 257.463 km/h 18 2. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:21.152 + 0.151 15 3. Raikkonen McLaren Mercedes (M) 1:21.318 + 0.317 19 4. Montoya Williams BMW (M) 1:21.556 + 0.555 22 5. Coulthard McLaren Mercedes (M) 1:21.675 + 0.674 24 6. da Matta Toyota (M) 1:21.881 + 0.880 24 7. Button BAR Honda (B) 1:21.913 + 0.912 27 8. Alonso Renault (M) 1:22.100 + 1.099 18 9. R.Schumacher Williams BMW (M) 1:22.312 + 1.311 22 10. Trulli Renault (M) 1:22.335 + 1.334 17 11. Webber Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:22.368 + 1.367 22 12. Panis Toyota (M) 1:22.584 + 1.583 20 13. Heidfeld Sauber Petronas (B) 1:22.821 + 1.820 16 14. Frentzen Sauber Petronas (B) 1:22.929 + 1.928 13 15. Villeneuve BAR Honda (B) 1:23.151 + 2.150 13 16. Wilson Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:23.478 + 2.477 11 17. Fisichella Jordan Ford (B) 1:23.794 + 2.793 16 18. Verstappen Minardi Cosworth (B) 1:24.652 + 3.651 14 19. Baumgartner Jordan Ford (B) 1:25.278 + 4.277 22 20. Kiesa Minardi Cosworth (B) 1:26.903 + 5.902 3 All Timing Unofficial