Sunday Warm-Up - Italian GP

Brazilian Ricardo Zonta upstaged title contenders Mika Hakkinen and Michael Schumacher when he set the fastest time in Sunday morning's warm-up for the Italian Grand Prix.

Zonta, in a BAR-Honda, clocked the best lap in one minute 26.448 seconds at an average speed of 241.240 kph to outstrip second-fastest defending world champion and title series leader Hakkinen, of Finland, in a McLaren, by six-hundredths of a second.

Schumacher, six points behind Hakkinen in the championship, but due to start the Italian race later on Sunday from pole position with Ferrari team mate Brazilian Rubens Barrichello beside him, was third, a further eight-hundredths of a second adrift.

Barrichello was seventh fastest but only seven-tenths off Zonta's pace while Hakkinen's McLaren team mate Briton David Coulthard clocked the fourth-best time.

Canadian Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 world champion who is starting fourth on the grid between the two McLaren drivers, was eighth-fastest.

The session was run in warm and dry conditions after early-morning sun had dispersed the mist in the former royal park at Monza.

Air temperatures of some 30 degrees Celsius are forecast for the race with much higher track temperatures and tyre degradation is predicted to be a factor in the outcome.

Schumacher, clearly preserving his tyres carefully, did only eight laps in the warm-up, as did Barrichello, but Hakkinen did 13 laps and Coulthard 15.

Zonta's pace confirmed the potential of the BAR-Honda in this race but also showed he is keen to impress all observers after being released by the team for next season when he will be replaced alongside Villeneuve by Frenchman Olivier Panis.

Pos Driver Team Times 1. Zonta BAR Honda 1:26.448 240.825 km/h 2. Hakkinen McLaren Mercedes 1:26.513 + 0.065 3. M.Schumacher Ferrari 1:26.593 + 0.145 4. Coulthard McLaren Mercedes 1:26.611 + 0.163 5. Verstappen Arrows Supertec 1:26.718 + 0.270 6. Salo Sauber Petronas 1:27.097 + 0.649 7. Barrichello Ferrari 1:27.233 + 0.785 8. Villeneuve BAR Honda 1:27.321 + 0.873 9. Button Williams BMW 1:27.339 + 0.891 10. Diniz Sauber Petronas 1:27.398 + 0.950 11. de la Rosa Arrows Supertec 1:27.457 + 1.009 12. Frentzen Jordan Mugen-Honda 1:27.538 + 1.090 13. Wurz Benetton Playlife 1:27.692 + 1.244 14. Irvine Jaguar Cosworth 1:27.711 + 1.263 15. Herbert Jaguar Cosworth 1:27.775 + 1.327 16. Fisichella Benetton Playlife 1:27.833 + 1.385 17. Trulli Jordan Mugen-Honda 1:27.919 + 1.471 18. R.Schumacher Williams BMW 1:27.984 + 1.536 19. Alesi Prost Peugeot 1:28.198 + 1.750 20. Heidfeld Prost Peugeot 1:28.388 + 1.940 21. Gene Minardi Fondmetal 1:28.534 + 2.086 22. Mazzacane Minardi Fondmetal 1:29.501 + 3.053

All timing unofficial