Schumacher fastest in rain at Imola
Alan Baldwin
World champion Michael Schumacher was fastest as Ferrari dominated Friday's rainswept free practice for the San Marino Grand Prix.
The German, championship leader after three races, clocked the fastest lap of one minute 36.898 seconds before skidding, spinning and stalling at the Variante Alta chicane with 25 laps completed.
Ferrari team mate Rubens Barrichello was second fastest in 1:37.094. The Brazilian has yet to score a point in 2002 but can now enjoy the new F2002 Ferrari that only Schumacher used in the last race in Brazil.
Italian Giancarlo Fisichella, also yet to score a point since he returned to Jordan at the start of the season, was third quickest overall in 1:38.093 in tricky conditions.
The rain, expected to last into the weekend, and heavy spray limited visibility in the first session but the weather eased up in the afternoon.
Schumacher's lap was inevitably way off last year's pole position of 1:23.054, set by McLaren's David Coulthard who was fourth fastest.
The Ferraris waited for almost half an hour before venturing out in the morning with hardy home fans sheltering in the grandstands at the Italian team's backyard.
Ferrari's Maranello factory is not far from Imola, a circuit named after the team's founder Enzo and son Dino, and Sunday's race is the first of the year in Europe after the three races in Australia, Malaysia and Brazil.
The BMW-powered Williams team arrived as favourites to win Sunday's race but were well off the pace in a session in which times mattered little.
Ralf Schumacher, eight points behind his leading older brother in the championship, beached his car in the gravel trap at the end of the first session after skidding off while following team mate Juan Pablo Montoya.
Montoya had a big spin in the second session but finished the day just ahead of Ralf in 1:39.480.
Italian Jarno Trulli had an off in the afternoon, smashing his Renault's front left wheel after skidding into the tyre barriers before the start-finish straight.
