Montoya Fastest in First Qualifying

Williams-BMW driver Juan Pablo Montoya set the pace in the pre-qualifying session for the French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours on Saturday.

Colombian Montoya, the penultimate man on track following his disqualification from the United States Grand Prix, posted a best time of 1:13.377 to head Michael Schumacher by 0.164 seconds.

Ferrari driver Schumacher, the first man on the track, had looked set to top the times with his lap time of 1:13.541, but Montoya lowered the best.

McLaren-Mercedes pair David Coulthard and Kimi Raikkonen were third and fourth as they drive the new MP4-19B, with Renault duo Fernando Alonso and Jarno Trulli fifth and seventh respectively.

BAR-Honda's Jenson Button was sixth fastest, his teammate Takuma Sato ended the session in eighth and Williams-BMW's Marc Gene and Toyota's Cristiano Da Matta completed the top-ten.

Rubens Barrichello did not go out as Ferrari worked on his car in a bid to cure a hydraulics problem in the garage and he will be first on the track in the grid-deciding session.

Pos Driver Team Time 1. Montoya Williams-BMW (M) 1:13.377 2. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:13.541 + 0.164 3. Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:13.649 + 0.272 4. Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes (M) 1:13.736 + 0.359 5. Alonso Renault (M) 1:13.750 + 0.373 6. Button BAR-Honda (M) 1:13.772 + 0.395 7. Trulli Renault (M) 1:13.949 + 0.572 8. Sato BAR-Honda (M) 1:14.130 + 0.753 9. Gene Williams-BMW (M) 1:14.133 + 0.756 10. da Matta Toyota (M) 1:14.245 + 0.868 11. Panis Toyota (M) 1:14.540 + 1.163 12. Massa Sauber-Petronas (B) 1:14.627 + 1.250 13. Klien Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 1:15.205 + 1.828 14. Webber Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 1:15.332 + 1.955 15. Fisichella Sauber-Petronas (B) 1:15.793 + 2.416 16. Pantano Jordan-Ford (B) 1:15.913 + 2.536 17. Heidfeld Jordan-Ford (B) 1:16.366 + 2.989 18. Bruni Minardi-Cosworth (B) 1:18.070 + 4.693 19. Baumgartner Minardi-Cosworth (B) 1:18.108 + 4.731 20. Barrichello Ferrari (B) No Time All timing unofficial