Saturday Second Free Practice - Australian GP

David Coulthard shattered the Albert Park lap record during a sizzling warm-up for Saturday's official qualifying session at the season-opening Australian Formula One Grand Prix.

The Scot, who won the Australian Grand Prix in 1997, powered his silver McLaren around the Melbourne street circuit in 1:27.540.

He beat the previous record of 1:27.561 set just minutes earlier by Ferrari's world champion Michael Schumacher on a day of super-fast times.

Coulthard's Finnish teammate Mika Hakkinen was third fastest during the warm-up with Germany's Heinz-Harald Frentzen fourth ahead of his Jordan teammate Jarno Trulli.

The first five drivers all broke Canadian Jacques Villeneuve's previous lap record of 1:28.594 which had stood since 1997 when slick tyres were still allowed.

Schumacher showed no side effects from his frightening high-speed crash the previous day as he set the early pace in his Ferrari, clocking 1:28.134 in the first of the two 45-minute practices.

The German, who walked away unscathed after flipping his car twice on Friday afternoon, then returned after a half hour break to lower his time to 1:27.561 before Coulthard overtook him just before the practice was halted.

But it was not all good news for the Ferrari team.

Schumacher's teammate, Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, had been fastest in Friday's practice but only completed six laps on Saturday when his engine blew.

And Schumacher himself did not complete the second session, pulling up on the side of the road when his front wheels locked, believed to be caused by a stone.

Pos. Driver Team Times 1. Coulthard McLaren Mercedes (B) 1:27.540 218.081 km/h 2. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:27.561 + 0.021 3. Hakkinen McLaren Mercedes (B) 1:27.775 + 0.235 4. Frentzen Jordan Honda (B) 1:27.940 + 0.400 5. Trulli Jordan Honda (B) 1:28.193 + 0.653 6. R.Schumacher Williams BMW (M) 1:28.666 + 1.126 7. Panis BAR Honda (B) 1:28.677 + 1.137 8. Raikkonen Sauber Petronas (B) 1:28.851 + 1.311 9. Irvine Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:28.861 + 1.321 10. Heidfeld Sauber Petronas (B) 1:28.895 + 1.355 11. Villeneuve BAR Honda (B) 1:28.962 + 1.422 12. Montoya Williams BMW (M) 1:29.184 + 1.644 13. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 1:29.945 + 2.405 14. Alesi Prost Acer (M) 1:29.981 + 2.441 15. Alonso European Minardi (M) 1:30.360 + 2.820 16. Fisichella Benetton Renault (M) 1:30.549 + 3.009 17. Burti Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:30.578 + 3.038 18. Bernoldi Arrows Asiatech (B) 1:30.782 + 3.242 19. Button Benetton Renault (M) 1:30.893 + 3.353 20. Verstappen Arrows Asiatech (B) 1:31.590 + 4.050 21. Mazzacane Prost Acer (M) 1:34.431 + 6.891 22. Marques European Minardi (M) 1:34.491 + 6.951 All timing unofficial