Ferrari's Michael Schumacher staked his claim for pole today with the fastest time in the final free practicefor the Canadian Formula One Grand Prix.
After being left surprisingly far down the timesheet on Friday, the triple world champion roared back to push the silver McLarens of Mika Hakkinenand David Coulthard back down the order and show that he had his set-up sorted.
Schumacher's time of one minute 16.2 seconds was more than two seconds faster than his 2000 pole time of 1:18.439 and he was expected totrim it further in the hour-long qualifying session following later in the afternoon.
The German will be chasing his fifth win in Montreal on Sunday and also his fifth of the season. He has been on pole five times previously for therace on the island circuit in the middle of the St Lawrence river.
Coulthard, 12 points behind championship leader Schumacher after seven of the season's 17 races, was second fastest in 1:16.707 and ahead ofHakkinen in 1:16.828.
Two times champion Hakkinen went off into the gravel at the Island Hairpin on his final lap as the session run in bright sunshine came to a close.
Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello was fourth quickest in 1:16.986 after pulling over and parking with 22 minutes remaining.
The two Ferrari-powered Saubers of German Nick Heidfeld and Finland's Kimi Raikkonen were fifth and sixth fastest respectively.
The main talking point of the session was provided by a driver not challenging for the top positions however.
Brazilian Ricardo Zonta returned to grand prix action as Jordan's stand-in for unwell German Heinz-Harald Frentzen.
Frentzen crashed at speed into the barriers in Monaco two weeks ago and had to cut short testing in France last week. A further crash inpractice on Friday left him complaining of dizziness and headaches.
Zonta, who had two seasons with BAR before losing his race seat at the end of last season, beached the Jordan in a gravel trap in the secondsession but was still a respectable 15th fastest.
His time of 1:18.595 was less than a second outside Italian team mate Jarno Trulli's.
Canadian Jacques Villeneuve, who crashed his BAR in Friday's practice in an accident that necessitated an overnight rebuild of the car, failed torecord a time in the first session but ended free practice as the 11th fastest.
There was also encouragement for Benetton's young Briton Jenson Button, who managed to record a faster time than his Italian team mateGiancarlo Fisichella after struggling on Friday.
Button was 18th fastest, Fisichella 19th.
-Reuters