Friday Free Practice - Malaysian GP

David Coulthard sent out a warning to his McLaren-Mercedes team's rivals by heading the times in Friday morning's practice session, ahead of afternoon qualifying.

Briton Coulthard set a best lap time of 1:36.102 just before the chequered flag fell to pip session-long pace-setters Renault team-mates Fernando Alonso and Jarno Trulli.

All three drivers are using Michelin tyres and the early indications are that teams running on the French manufacturer's rubber may hold an advantage around the Sepang circuit.

This was underlined by the fact that Williams-BMW pair Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher - the winner at Sepang 12 months ago - were fourth and fifth fastest.

It was BAR-Honda's Jenson Button who was the fastest of the drivers on Bridgestone tyres, as he ended up sixth quickest with a best lap time 1:37.060 seconds to edge out Ferrari's World Champion Michael Schumacher in seventh.

Button's teammate Jacques Villeneuve was eighth fastest, with Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello ending the session ninth fastest and Toyota's Olivier Panis completing the top 10.

One name missing from the top of the timesheets was that of Coulthard's Finnish teammate Kimi Raikkonen who, having just set what at that stage was the fastest time through the first sector, then flew off the circuit and damaged his car. He later returned but could get no higher than 15th.

There were also dramas for Jaguar's Antonio Pizzonia, Sauber-Petronas's Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Jordan-Ford's Ralph Firman.

Pizzonia ran off the track and lost his car's front wing, while Frentzen stopped out on the circuit, although he was able to later rejoin the session using the team's spare car.

Firman's session ended when he crashed off the track with damage to his car's left front wheel and suspension.

Although the session was held under blue skies, by the end of the one hour practice clouds were beginning to form and in a region notorious for its sudden changes in weather, there are suggestions that thunderstorms could return for this afternoon's qualifying session.

Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Coulthard McLaren Mercedes (M) 1:36.102 207.642 km/h 20 2. Alonso Renault (M) 1:36.231 + 0.129 15 3. Trulli Renault (M) 1:36.372 + 0.270 13 4. Montoya Williams BMW (M) 1:36.998 + 0.896 18 5. R.Schumacher Williams BMW (M) 1:37.045 + 0.943 21 6. Button BAR Honda (B) 1:37.060 + 0.958 23 7. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:37.313 + 1.211 20 8. Villeneuve BAR Honda (B) 1:37.357 + 1.255 22 9. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 1:37.497 + 1.395 20 10. Panis Toyota (M) 1:37.748 + 1.646 18 11. Fisichella Jordan Ford (B) 1:37.847 + 1.745 20 12. Heidfeld Sauber Petronas (B) 1:37.906 + 1.804 17 13. Frentzen Sauber Petronas (B) 1:37.951 + 1.849 11 14. da Matta Toyota (M) 1:37.992 + 1.890 24 15. Raikkonen McLaren Mercedes (M) 1:38.515 + 2.413 15 16. Firman Jordan Ford (B) 1:38.516 + 2.414 13 17. Pizzonia Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:38.839 + 2.737 13 18. Webber Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:38.870 + 2.768 3 19. Verstappen Minardi Cosworth (B) 1:39.183 + 3.081 13 20. Wilson Minardi Cosworth (B) 1:39.695 + 3.593 14 All Timing Unofficial