Raikkonen leaves Schumacher trailing

Kimi Raikkonen left Michael Schumacher trailing by more than a second on Friday as McLaren led the field in free practice for Sunday's Malaysian Formula One Grand Prix.

The young Finn, preparing for only his second race as a McLaren driver after a debut season with Sauber, roared around a sweltering Sepang circuit in one minute 37.399 seconds.

The time was inside the race lap record but well outside Schumacher's 2001 pole for Ferrari of 1:35.220.

Team mate David Coulthard, whose hopes of a competitive time in the opening session went up in smoke when his car caught fire, was second quickest in 1:38.038 as the Michelin-shod team turned the tables on Ferrari.

Four times world champion Schumacher, who has been on pole at every Malaysian Grand Prix since the circuit was inaugurated in 1999 as well as winning the last two races, was third fastest in his Ferrari in 1:38.490.

Raikkonen's time, after a morning session dominated by the teams on Bridgestone tyres, left Michelin the early winners in the battle between the sport's two suppliers. But Saturday's qualifying will be the real test.

FEEL THE HEAT

"It's nice to be fastest but it's too early to say how we will do tomorrow," said Raikkonen. "Obviously I hope we can show the same level of competitiveness but at least we are on the pace."

Schumacher let nothing break his calm.

"We worked on defining our tyre choice," the German said. "This meant we did not spend much time working on the actual set-up of the car.

"But I'm pretty optimistic for the rest of the weekend. I am not worried about the gap to the quickest runners today.

"We expected the others to be fast here but we have to remember that Friday's times do not always give a clear indication of the real situation."

Coulthard felt the heat more than most, his car bursting into flames in the first session when an exhaust pipe ignited the bodywork.

LICKING FLAMES

The Scot, Formula One's runner-up last season but still seeking his first points of 2002, had completed just three slow laps when he pulled over with flames licking out of the rear right of the McLaren.

Coulthard jumped out as an official extinguished the flames, sending smoke billowing across the track.

Then, despite the humidity, he pushed the car back along the track to the pitlane from turn 21 before watching Ferrari set the fastest times of the morning.

But the senior McLaren driver soon picked up the pace, despite an early spin.

"As a day of preparation, today wasn't ideal," the Scot said. "In the circumstances to set the second fastest time is encouraging but, as always, it's Friday and what is important is where we end up tomorrow."

Williams' Ralf Schumacher, Michael's younger brother, was fourth fastest, in 1:38.650, while Finn Mika Salo was a surprising fifth quickest for newcomers Toyota in 1:39.066 ahead of Williams' Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya.

That left Michael Schumacher as the sole Bridgestone runner in the top six at the end of the day.

Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello, who had been second quickest, halted on the circuit with 14 minutes to go and was only seventh fastest.

Australian Mark Webber, a surprising fifth in Melbourne after a first-corner pile-up culled nearly half the field, managed only six laps in his Minardi and was slowest.