Saturday First Free Practice

Five-times World Champion Michael Schumacher and one of his greatest young rivals Kimi Raikkonen both crashed and damaged their cars during Saturday's free practice session for Sunday's season-opening Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park.

On a circuit left dirty and slippery after heavy overnight rain storms, the Ferrari ace and his McLaren Mercedes-Benz challenger both damaged the front left wheels and front wings of their cars after spinning into the barriers.

Briton Jenson Button in a BAR-Honda topped the times at the end of the session when it resumed after being red-flagged to a halt for nine minutes following Finn Raikkonen's accident.

German Schumacher and his Ferrari teammate Brazilian Rubens Barrichello both went off-track and regained control early on, several other drivers also recovered from unscheduled off-circuit excursions and then Schumacher slid off at T15, a sharp left-hand corner after 28 minutes.

Six minutes later, after Schumacher's debris had been cleared, Raikkonen lost his car at T5, a fast sweeping right-hand corner, and the session was brought to a premature halt. Afterwards, Button topped the times and then saw his BAR-Honda teammate Canadian Jacques Villeneuve pull up and halt in his car with what looked like engine problems.

Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Button BAR Honda (B) 1:27.415 218.393 km/h 16 2. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 1:27.614 + 0.199 16 3. R.Schumacher Williams BMW (M) 1:27.814 + 0.399 15 4. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:27.987 + 0.572 9 5. Trulli Renault (M) 1:28.037 + 0.622 11 6. Coulthard McLaren Mercedes (M) 1:28.090 + 0.675 16 7. Montoya Williams BMW (M) 1:28.120 + 0.705 15 8. Alonso Renault (M) 1:28.154 + 0.739 14 9. Webber Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:28.421 + 1.006 21 10. Villeneuve BAR Honda (B) 1:28.509 + 1.094 16 11. Raikkonen McLaren Mercedes (M) 1:28.564 + 1.149 10 12. Frentzen Sauber Petronas (B) 1:29.170 + 1.755 15 13. Panis Toyota (M) 1:29.212 + 1.797 15 14. Fisichella Jordan Ford (B) 1:29.343 + 1.928 12 15. da Matta Toyota (M) 1:29.673 + 2.258 14 16. Heidfeld Sauber Petronas (B) 1:29.674 + 2.259 12 17. Firman Jordan Ford (B) 1:29.912 + 2.497 13 18. Pizzonia Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:30.551 + 3.136 10 19. Wilson Minardi Cosworth (B) 1:30.857 + 3.442 12 20. Verstappen Minardi Cosworth (B) No Time 2 All Timing Unofficial