Prac 4: Button stakes claim

With the race on Sunday expected to be one of the most open of the season, all eyes were on who looked most likely to nail that all-important pole position later this afternoon. Williams' Antonio Pizzonia set the first sub-1m20s lap of the weekend at 1m19.913s, laying down the gauntlet to Schumacher, who had set 1m20.029s halfway through the session. Barrichello was first to respond with a 1m19.768s, the Brazilian absolutely flying though the final sector of the lap.

But it was Button who lowered the bar, producing an excellent 1m19.556s right at the end of the session. Schumacher was also on track at this time, but the best he could manage was 1m19.747s, which only just eclipsed Barrichello for second.



Pizzonia stayed fourth, ahead of Jarno Trulli (Renault), Takuma Sato (BAR) and Fernando Alonso (Renault) while his team-mate Juan Pablo Montoya should have been there or thereabouts, but for a wild slide onto the grass at Turn 11. He was eighth quickest, ahead of the Toyota of Ricardo Zonta.

McLaren had a quiet start to Saturday, with Kimi Raikkonen 10th fastest and David Coulthard in 12th. The second Toyota of Olivier Panis split them. Mark Webber was 13th for Jaguar, ahead of Giancarlo Fisichella's Sauber and Jag team-mate Christian Klien.

Nick Heidfeld was the fastest of the Cosworth runners for Jordan, while 17th fastest Felipe Massa appeared to suffer an engine failure at Turn 3, which could seriously compromise his weekend from here. Giorgio Pantano (Jordan), Gianmaria Bruni and Zsolt Baumgartner (Minardis) completed the field.