Saturday First Free Practice - Italian GP

Few drivers ventured out onto a damp Monza circuit for the first of Saturday's two practice sessions prior to the all-important qualifying hour.

But it was no surprise who was on top once again, as Juan Pablo Montoya showed the Williams cars, helped by the impressive power from their BMW engines, should have the measure of all conditions in Italy.

Montoya was 0.336 seconds ahead of Rubens Barrichello's Ferrari as team leader Michael Schumacher did not even bother to get out on track.

Pedro de la Rosa continued his impressive pace from the Friday sessions to finish third fastest in his Jaguar which is now bearing a black engine cover in memory of the victims of America's tragic terrorist attack.

De la Rosa was almost a second off the pace of Montoya, with the British American Racing cars of Jacques Villeneuve and Olivier Panis claiming fourth and fifth fastest times.

The session was slow in getting going and had little in the way of incidents, with Heinz-Harald Frentzen's Prost stopping on the circuit due to brake problems the only talking point.

Pos Driver Team Times 1. Montoya Williams BMW (M) 1:25.558 243.750 km/h 2. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 1:25.894 + 0.336 3. de la Rosa Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:26.542 + 0.984 4. Villeneuve BAR Honda (B) 1:26.622 + 1.064 5. Panis BAR Honda (B) 1:26.729 + 1.171 6. Raikkonen Sauber Petronas (B) 1:27.535 + 1.977 7. Irvine Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:27.625 + 2.067 8. Verstappen Arrows Asiatech (B) 1:27.853 + 2.295 9. Bernoldi Arrows Asiatech (B) 1:27.944 + 2.386 10. Heidfeld Sauber Petronas (B) 1:28.066 + 2.508 11. Enge Prost Acer (M) 1:28.791 + 3.233 12. Trulli Jordan Honda (B) 1:30.536 + 4.978 13. Frentzen Prost Acer (M) 1:32.214 + 6.656 14. R.Schumacher Williams BMW (M) 1:47.742 + 0:22.184 15. Fisichella Benetton Renault (M) No Time 16. Yoong Minardi European (M) No Time 17. Button Benetton Renault (M) No Time 18. Alesi Jordan Honda (B) No Time 19. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) No Time 20. Coulthard McLaren Mercedes (B) No Time 21. Hakkinen McLaren Mercedes (B) No Time 22. Alonso Minardi European (M) No Time All Timing Unofficial