Saturday First Free Practice - French GP

Michael Schumacher led a Ferrari one-two in Saturday's opening practice session for the French Grand Prix, as Arrows once again remained in the garage waiting for a solution to their financial problems.

The 2002 Champion-elect prepared for the afternoon qualifying session in perfect style, finishing more than half a second faster than Brazilian teammate Rubens Barrichello.

The German star, who could win a fifth Championship at Magny-Cours this weekend, put in a controlled performance after spinning out and finishing third on Friday, to show he is still in control at a circuit where he has won five times.

Finn Kimi Raikkonen was the best of the rest for McLaren-Mercedes, just more than one tenth of a second behind the second Ferrari, while David Coulthard, who finished fastest on Friday, continued his impressive pace with fourth fastest time.

Young Brazilian Felipe Massa, of Sauber, was fifth, with the Williams-BMW pair of Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya and German Ralf Schumacher in sixth and seventh places respectively.

Briton Jenson Button was eighth for Renault, with German Nick Heidfeld ninth in the second Sauber and home hope Olivier Panis completing the top ten times as his teammate Canadian Jacques Villeneuve slumped to 15th after clattering over the kerbs.

For Arrows, though, it was another sit-out as boss Tom Walkinshaw frantically tried to sort out a deal to save the team from bankruptcy as shareholding wrangles continue.

He has, however, insisted the cars will run, even if it is just in the qualifying session, but they are sure to be hampered by a lack of running, especially because the conditions have been good for all practice sessions.

Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:12.974 209.713 km/h 7 2. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 1:13.503 + 0.529 7 3. Raikkonen McLaren Mercedes (M) 1:13.672 + 0.698 9 4. Coulthard McLaren Mercedes (M) 1:14.213 + 1.239 8 5. Massa Sauber Petronas (B) 1:14.311 + 1.337 12 6. Montoya Williams BMW (M) 1:14.321 + 1.347 15 7. R.Schumacher Williams BMW (M) 1:14.445 + 1.471 15 8. Button Renault (M) 1:14.581 + 1.607 11 9. Heidfeld Sauber Petronas (B) 1:14.624 + 1.650 14 10. Panis BAR Honda (B) 1:14.725 + 1.751 12 11. Fisichella Jordan Honda (B) 1:14.949 + 1.975 13 12. Irvine Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:15.117 + 2.143 15 13. Trulli Renault (M) 1:15.179 + 2.205 17 14. Sato Jordan Honda (B) 1:15.208 + 2.234 19 15. Villeneuve BAR Honda (B) 1:15.464 + 2.490 11 16. Salo Toyota (M) 1:15.516 + 2.542 13 17. McNish Toyota (M) 1:15.650 + 2.676 13 18. de la Rosa Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:15.936 + 2.962 12 19. Yoong Minardi Asiatech (M) 1:18.408 + 5.434 21 20. Webber Minardi Asiatech (M) 2:03.363 + 50.389 4 All Timing Unofficial