Saturday Second Free Practice - San Marino GP

Reigning World Champion Michael Schumacher delighted his home Ferrari crowd by powering past last year's pole position time as he topped the timesheets in Saturday's final practice session before qualifying for the San Marino Grand Prix.

Despite increasing temperatures, which are thought to favour the Michelin runners, the German ensured the smiles stayed with his fanatical supporters as he placed his Bridgestone-shod F2002 fastest for the third time in four sessions.

Briton David Coulthard, who started from pole position last year, led the chase of the lead Ferrari in his McLaren-Mercedes, and he was only three tenths of a second behind his rival in second.

Brazilian Rubens Barrichello took up his now familiar third place for Ferrari as the times continued to fall with temperatures at the Imola track reaching 17 degrees by the end of the session.

German star Nick Heidfeld claimed fourth fastest time for Sauber as he led last year's winner, German Ralf Schumacher, in fifth with his Williams-BMW teammate Juan Pablo Montoya, in sixth.

Finn Kimi Raikkonen made sure the top three teams claimed six of the top seven times by finishing one spot behind Montoya, with Jenson Button posting a late time to prove Renault, who have so far been off the pace, will still present a challenge to the leading teams.

British American Racing Honda continued their promising form, with Canadian Jacques Villeneuve ninth and Frenchman Olivier Panis eleventh, split by the impressive German Heinz-Harald Frentzen in the Arrows.

Brazilian Felipe Massa finished last but one after trouble during the session saw him stop briefly out on the track before returning to the pits and missing the rest of the practice.

Ferrari driver Schumacher had his second spin of the weekend, while Alex Yoong, in the Minardi, also had trouble staying on track and finished the session in last place.

Pos Driver Team Times 1. M.Schumacher Ferrari (B) 1:23.046 213.843 km/h 2. Coulthard McLaren Mercedes (M) 1:23.550 + 0.504 3. Barrichello Ferrari (B) 1:23.675 + 0.629 4. Heidfeld Sauber Petronas (B) 1:23.695 + 0.649 5. R.Schumacher Williams BMW (M) 1:23.900 + 0.854 6. Montoya Williams BMW (M) 1:24.078 + 1.032 7. Raikkonen McLaren Mercedes (M) 1:24.651 + 1.605 8. Button Renault (M) 1:24.785 + 1.739 9. Villeneuve BAR Honda (B) 1:24.965 + 1.919 10. Frentzen Arrows Cosworth (B) 1:25.178 + 2.132 11. Panis BAR Honda (B) 1:25.363 + 2.317 12. Trulli Renault (M) 1:25.520 + 2.474 13. Fisichella Jordan Honda (B) 1:25.542 + 2.496 14. Sato Jordan Honda (B) 1:25.576 + 2.530 15. Irvine Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:25.766 + 2.720 16. Bernoldi Arrows Cosworth (B) 1:25.781 + 2.735 17. Salo Toyota (M) 1:25.951 + 2.905 18. de la Rosa Jaguar Cosworth (M) 1:26.399 + 3.353 19. Webber Minardi Asiatech (M) 1:27.022 + 3.976 20. McNish Toyota (M) 1:27.138 + 4.092 21. Massa Sauber Petronas (B) 1:27.282 + 4.236 22. Yoong Minardi Asiatech (M) 1:28.993 + 5.947 All Timing Unofficial