Saturday First Free Practice

Williams driver Ralf Schumacher topped the times in an action packed first practice session on Saturday that saw an 18-minute delay at the Monte Carlo circuit.

The delay was caused when smoke poured from Jos Verstappen's Arrows, just 13 minutes into the session, leaking oil onto the Rascasse corner. After red flags halted the session, marshalls were busy covering the area with sand and this was to affect proceedings in this first practice session.

Jacques Villeneuve was second in the BAR while McLaren's David Coulthard was slightly slower and finished third. Michael Schumacher ended fourth while Kimi Raikkonen, on his first outing at Monte Carlo, continued to impress as he finished fifth.

The only serious crash came near the end of the session, when Luciano Burti hit a tyre wall at the Ste Devote corner. Although his Prost car was seriously damaged, Burti was unhurt.

Pos Driver Team Times 1. R.Schumacher Williams BMW (M) 1:21.036 149.711 km/h 2. Villeneuve BAR Honda (B) 1:21.200 + 0.164 3. Coulthard McLaren Mercedes (B) 1:21.288 + 0.252 4. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:21.377 + 0.341 5. Raikkonen Sauber Petronas (B) 1:22.053 + 1.017 6. Irvine Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:22.131 + 1.095 7. Alesi Prost Acer (M) 1:22.141 + 1.105 8. Frentzen Jordan Honda (B) 1:22.373 + 1.337 9. Panis BAR Honda (B) 1:22.514 + 1.478 10. Trulli Jordan Honda (B) 1:22.562 + 1.526 11. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 1:22.678 + 1.642 12. Fisichella Benetton Renault (M) 1:22.834 + 1.798 13. Montoya Williams BMW (M) 1:23.111 + 2.075 14. Button Benetton Renault (M) 1:23.756 + 2.720 15. Heidfeld Sauber Petronas (B) 1:24.067 + 3.031 16. de la Rosa Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:24.135 + 3.099 17. Alonso Minardi European (M) 1:24.460 + 3.424 18. Burti Prost Acer (M) 1:25.795 + 4.759 19. Marques Minardi European (M) 1:26.558 + 5.522 20. Verstappen Arrows Asiatech (B) 1:27.829 + 6.793 21. Hakkinen McLaren Mercedes (B) 57:38.576 + 56:17.540 22. Bernoldi Arrows Asiatech (B) No Time All Timing Unofficial