Saturday Second Free Practice - Japanese GP

Ralf Schumacher continued to top the times at Suzuka as he led a one-two for Williams-BMW ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya in the final practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix on Saturday.

The session was a boost for the British team, who trail Ferrari by just three points in the Constructors' Championship ahead of the final race of the season at Suzuka.

But World Champion Michael Schumacher was lurking with intent right behind as he finished third, although he was more than half a second slower than his brother's best time of 1:31.149.

Italian Jarno Trulli was fourth fastest for Renault while his teammate Fernando Alonso almost caused a disaster in the closing moments of the session, when his car's engine expired and dropped a streak of oil along the racing line at turn eight.

Both Montoya and Jaguar's Mark Webber lost control as they followed close behind and the pair miraculously avoided a collision with each other and the tyre barriers as they careered across the gravel.

Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, of Ferrari, finished fifth with Championship contending Finn Kimi Raikkonen sixth in the lead McLaren-Mercedes. Raikkonen, who crashed in the first session and damaged his car, was driving his teammate David Coulthard's car in the second session, while the Scot remained in the garage and did not run a single lap.

Toyota pair of Frenchman Olivier Panis and Brazilian Cristiano da Matta finished seventh and ninth as they sandwiched eighth-placed Alonso. Briton Jenson Button completed the top ten but finished just 0.251 seconds faster than his new BAR-Honda teammate Takuma Sato, who delighted the home crowd by finishing 11th fastest.

Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. R.Schumacher Williams BMW (M) 1:31.149 229.352 km/h 10 2. Montoya Williams BMW (M) 1:31.422 + 0.273 15 3. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:31.705 + 0.556 12 4. Trulli Renault (M) 1:32.343 + 1.194 19 5. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 1:32.796 + 1.647 11 6. Raikkonen McLaren Mercedes (M) 1:32.930 + 1.781 7 7. Panis Toyota (M) 1:33.082 + 1.933 16 8. Alonso Renault (M) 1:33.107 + 1.958 15 9. da Matta Toyota (M) 1:33.133 + 1.984 17 10. Button BAR Honda (B) 1:33.411 + 2.262 21 11. Sato BAR Honda (B) 1:33.662 + 2.513 10 12. Frentzen Sauber Petronas (B) 1:33.694 + 2.545 16 13. Webber Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:33.807 + 2.658 15 14. Wilson Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:33.952 + 2.803 18 15. Heidfeld Sauber Petronas (B) 1:34.558 + 3.409 19 16. Fisichella Jordan Ford (B) 1:35.476 + 4.327 15 17. Firman Jordan Ford (B) 1:35.620 + 4.471 15 18. Verstappen Minardi Cosworth (B) 1:37.379 + 6.230 6 19. Kiesa Minardi Cosworth (B) 1:37.884 + 6.735 18 All Timing Unofficial