Saturday Second Free Practice - French GP

BMW-Williams continued their impressive run of form in Saturday's second practice for the French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours as Ralf Schumacher headed teammate Juan Pablo Montoya in the timesheets.

With the two practices now being run as separate sessions, Schumacher led the way with a time of 1:14.966 after Renault's Spanish driver Fernando Alonso had set the pace in the opening 45-minute session.

Montoya was second sixth-tenths adrift while David Coulthard, who had led the way early on for McLaren-Mercedes, ended third quickest. World Champion Michael Schumacher was Bridgestone's highest runner in fourth place, almost a second down on his brother Ralf, with McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen setting the fifth best time in routine session.

Alonso took sixth place with Jaguar driver Mark Webber seventh and Olivier Panis eighth for Toyota, as Michelin runners dominated in overcast but warm conditions.

Ferrari's Brazilian Rubens Barrichello ended ninth ahead of the Renault of Jarno Trulli, who completed the top ten ahead of the grid-deciding qualifying session.

Coulthard had a spin at turn 15, in the revised Lycee Complex, with 15 minutes remaining but he was able to continue, while Minardi driver Jos Verstappen suffered an engine failure in the closing stages and ran only eight laps.

Briton Jenson Button, who finished 15th quickest, completed only three laps after spending the majority of the second practice session in the garage.

Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. R.Schumacher Williams BMW (M) 1:14.966 211.824 km/h 17 2. Montoya Williams BMW (M) 1:15.577 + 0.611 17 3. Coulthard McLaren Mercedes (M) 1:15.600 + 0.634 14 4. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:15.918 + 0.952 19 5. Raikkonen McLaren Mercedes (M) 1:16.012 + 1.046 14 6. Alonso Renault (M) 1:16.039 + 1.073 20 7. Webber Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:16.112 + 1.146 24 8. Panis Toyota (M) 1:16.133 + 1.167 17 9. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 1:16.345 + 1.379 18 10. Trulli Renault (M) 1:16.376 + 1.410 22 11. Pizzonia Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:17.036 + 2.070 25 12. Villeneuve BAR Honda (B) 1:17.101 + 2.135 21 13. da Matta Toyota (M) 1:17.690 + 2.724 22 14. Frentzen Sauber Petronas (B) 1:17.776 + 2.810 23 15. Button BAR Honda (B) 1:17.808 + 2.842 3 16. Fisichella Jordan Ford (B) 1:17.908 + 2.942 21 17. Heidfeld Sauber Petronas (B) 1:18.057 + 3.091 25 18. Firman Jordan Ford (B) 1:18.670 + 3.704 17 19. Verstappen Minardi Cosworth (B) 1:18.696 + 3.730 8 20. Wilson Minardi Cosworth (B) 1:19.044 + 4.078 18 All Timing Unofficial