Friday Second Free Practice - French GP

Briton David Coulthard led a McLaren-Mercedes one-two in Friday's second practice for the French Grand Prix as sweltering temperatures provided perfect conditions for teams on Michelin tyres.

Coulthard, who had a disastrous time in the damp and cold conditions at Silverstone in the last race, topped the times as the sun beat down on Magny-Cours with a 1:14.025 lap which left him just 0.072 seconds in front of Finnish teammate Kimi Raikkonen.

Reigning champion Michael Schumacher, who could win his fifth world title in France on Sunday, was third fastest for Ferrari and spun in the final chicane as he tried to push for the top spot in the dying minutes of the session.

Brazilian Rubens Barrichello claimed fourth place, but he was more than half a second behind his German teammate, with Ralf Schumacher ignoring an earlier spin to push his Michelin-shod Williams-BMW into fifth place one tenth further back.

Ulsterman Eddie Irvine continued what looks to be a promising performance from the Jaguar team by putting his newly-modified R3 car into sixth place, within one second of Coulthard's leading time.

Finn Mika Salo was seventh for Toyota despite a blown engine towards the end of the session, while Spaniard Pedro de la Rosa, in the second Jaguar, Briton Jenson Button, in the leading Renault, and Colombia's Juan Pablo Montoya, in the second Williams-BMW, completed the top ten.

Montoya had spent some time in the garage during the session after spinning off at the Estoril curve and damaging his Williams-BMW as he rattled over the gravel trap, and failed to improve on a late run.

Ferrari remained the only Bridgestone-shod team to climb inside the top ten positions in the 25-degree heat, with Giancarlo Fisichella's Jordan the next best runner from the Japanese company's camp in 12th position.

Arrows, meanwhile, were left in the garages once again as disputes between team owner Tom Walkinshaw and shareholders Morgan Grenfell continued to prevent their participation in the event.

The team's cars have been scrutineered to participate in the event, however, and should make an appearance to take part in the qualifying session on Saturday afternoon at the latest.

Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Coulthard McLaren Mercedes (M) 1:14.025 206.736 km/h 37 2. Raikkonen McLaren Mercedes (M) 1:14.097 + 0.072 39 3. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:14.240 + 0.215 50 4. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 1:14.750 + 0.725 40 5. R.Schumacher Williams BMW (M) 1:14.970 + 0.945 37 6. Irvine Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:14.983 + 0.958 39 7. Salo Toyota (M) 1:15.161 + 1.136 28 8. de la Rosa Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:15.179 + 1.154 45 9. Button Renault (M) 1:15.218 + 1.193 41 10. Montoya Williams BMW (M) 1:15.271 + 1.246 35 11. McNish Toyota (M) 1:15.411 + 1.386 43 12. Fisichella Jordan Honda (B) 1:15.422 + 1.397 36 13. Massa Sauber Petronas (B) 1:16.030 + 2.005 50 14. Panis BAR Honda (B) 1:16.163 + 2.138 42 15. Sato Jordan Honda (B) 1:16.167 + 2.142 46 16. Heidfeld Sauber Petronas (B) 1:16.209 + 2.184 45 17. Villeneuve BAR Honda (B) 1:16.457 + 2.432 35 18. Webber Minardi Asiatech (M) 1:16.496 + 2.471 37 19. Trulli Renault (M) 1:16.763 + 2.738 18 20. Yoong Minardi Asiatech (M) 1:19.015 + 4.990 43 All Timing Unofficial