Saturday First Free Practice - Austrian GP

Michael Schumacher produced a late lap to top the times in the opening practice session on Saturday ahead of qualifying for the Austrian Grand Prix. Schumacher lap time of 1:10.094 second knocked the impressive Juan Pablo Montoya off top-spot and was also lower than last year's pole position time.

McLaren's Mika Hakkinen was third with Schumacher's teammate Rubens Barrichello in fourth, and David Coulthard, after setting the fastest time of the day on Friday, the last of the McLaren and Ferrari runners in fifth.

Heinz Harald Frentzen had a good first session to move into sixth place, after his teammate Jarno Trulli had difficulties when his engine blew on the pit straight.

The BAR cars ran well to move up to seventh and eighth, with Olivier Panis once again getting the better of his teammate Jacques Villeneuve. The Sauber pair were also running well, with Kimi Raikkonen just beating Nick Heidfeld as the Swiss team claimed the final two spots in the top ten.

Arrows driver Enrique Bernoldi had a brief trip across the grass after locking his brakes, and the Jaguar of Pedro de la Rosa stopped after completing just seven laps. David Coulthard also went too fast into the final corner and slid off the circuit as he pushed hard to move up the times.

Pos Driver Team Times 1. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:10.094 222.182 km/h 2. Montoya Williams BMW (M) 1:10.391 + 0.297 3. Hakkinen Mclaren Mercedes (B) 1:10.548 + 0.454 4. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 1:10.821 + 0.727 5. Coulthard Mclaren Mercedes (B) 1:10.966 + 0.872 6. Frentzen Jordan Honda (B) 1:11.052 + 0.958 7. Panis BAR Honda (B) 1:11.351 + 1.257 8. Villeneuve BAR Honda (B) 1:11.367 + 1.273 9. Raikkonen Sauber Petronas (B) 1:11.784 + 1.690 10. Heidfeld Sauber Petronas (B) 1:11.795 + 1.701 11. Verstappen Arrows Asiatech (B) 1:11.831 + 1.737 12. R.Schumacher Williams BMW (M) 1:11.937 + 1.843 13. Irvine Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:12.197 + 2.103 14. Trulli Jordan Honda (B) 1:12.283 + 2.189 15. Bernoldi Arrows Asiatech (B) 1:12.418 + 2.324 16. de la Rosa Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:13.313 + 3.219 17. Alesi Prost Acer (M) 1:13.485 + 3.391 18. Fisichella Benetton Renault (M) 1:13.928 + 3.834 19. Burti Prost Acer (M) 1:14.056 + 3.962 20. Alonso Minardi European (M) 1:14.132 + 4.038 21. Button Benetton Renault (M) 1:14.638 + 4.544 22. Marques Minardi European (M) No Time All Timing Unofficial