Sato Fastest in First Qualifying - European GP

Takuma Sato finished fastest in the first qualifying session for the European Grand Prix when he bettered the time set by German World Champion Michael Schumacher late in the session.

Japanese driver Sato, driving for BAR-Honda, set the fastest time of the weekend with a lap of 1:27.691 to finish 0.587 seconds ahead of Schumacher, after the Ferrari driver had looked set to finish well clear of the pack.

Ralf Schumacher, of Williams-BMW, finished third, 0.964 seconds off the pace, and the session was red flagged briefly after Scot David Coulthard stopped out on the track on his cool-down lap having set the fourth fastest time.

Coulthard was helped by marshals, who pushed his car off the track after a plume of smoke had signalled the end of his run, but he was left with little chance of taking the second session.

Briton Jenson Button finished fifth fastest in the second BAR, 1.125 seconds slower than his teammate, with Finn Kimi Raikkonen sixth for McLaren and Rubens Barrichello seventh in the second Ferrari.

Spaniard Fernando Alonso, of Renault, beat Colombian Williams driver Juan Pablo Montoya to eighth place and Frenchman Olivier Panis completed the top ten runners in his Toyota.

Pos Driver Team T1 T2 Time 1. (17) Sato BAR-Honda (M) 29.001 65.290 1:27.691 2. (11) M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 29.163 65.821 1:28.278 + 0.587 3. (10) R.Schumacher Williams-BMW (M) 29.337 66.171 1:28.665 + 0.974 4. (18) Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes (M) 29.145 66.075 1:28.717 + 1.026 5. (2) Button BAR-Honda (M) 29.161 66.126 1:28.816 + 1.125 6. (13) Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes (M) 29.174 66.148 1:28.897 + 1.206 7. (3) Barrichello Ferrari (B) 29.292 66.170 1:29.014 + 1.323 8. (12) Alonso Renault (M) 29.278 66.325 1:29.069 + 1.378 9. (4) Montoya Williams-BMW (M) 29.239 66.189 1:29.092 + 1.401 10. (8) Panis Toyota (M) 29.376 66.402 1:29.243 + 1.552 11. (6) da Matta Toyota (M) 29.261 66.517 1:29.272 + 1.581 12. (19) Fisichella Sauber-Petronas (B) 29.660 66.807 1:29.327 + 1.636 13. (1) Trulli Renault (M) 29.496 66.990 1:29.905 + 2.214 14. (16) Webber Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 29.840 67.505 1:30.579 + 2.888 15. (20) Klien Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 29.964 68.027 1:30.933 + 3.242 16. (5) Massa Sauber-Petronas (B) 30.236 68.426 1:31.879 + 4.188 17. (15) Pantano Jordan-Ford (B) 29.946 68.556 1:31.928 + 4.237 18. (7) Heidfeld Jordan-Ford (B) 30.078 68.902 1:32.216 + 4.525 19. (9) Baumgartner Minardi-Cosworth (B) 30.691 69.638 1:33.061 + 5.370 20. (14) Bruni Minardi-Cosworth (B) 30.356 69.392 1:33.077 + 5.386 All timing unofficial