After Friday practice for the 2002 Belgian Grand Prix it would be Michelin who would come out on top with seven of the top ten times been Michelin supplied drivers. McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen would set the fastest time with a lap time of 1m:47.196, just 0.160s faster than team-mate David Coulthard.

BMW WilliamsF1 driver Ralf Schumacher was fifth ahead of Renault's Jenson Button in sixth, followed by Jaguar's Pedro de la Rosa, Juan Pablo Montoya eighth, Jaguar's Eddie Irvine ninth, and Toyota's Mika Salo tenth.

It was a difficult day for 2001 pole position winner Montoya. A car problem forced him to miss almost the whole of the first session and he ran off the track three times in the second.

Pierre Dupasquier, Michelin Motorsport Director, responded to various questions after the completion of practice.

Michelin and its partners set the fastest two times today and occupied 10 of the top 12 positions. What did you make of the first free practice session?

"I am happy with the way our two dry-weather tyres have performed, because they fulfilled our expectations. One thing I would say, however, is that we always maintain the same point of view on a Friday: it doesn't matter whether our cars are fastest or not, we are fully aware that what happens does not necessarily have any significance in relation to what the result will be on Sunday because teams have not been running with identical fuel loads when they set their best times today."

What can you tell us about your harder, primary (A) tyre and the softer option (B) ?

"The primary was not as well suited to today's conditions as the option, but that was to be expected because it is designed to work most effectively in cooler temperatures than those we experienced today."

You left it very late before finalising the tyre compounds you brought to this race. Why?

"We left it until the last possible moment to make a decision because we wanted to obtain the most accurate weather forecasts that were available. The problem at Spa is that you never know whether the ambient temperature in late August is going to be 12 degrees or 30. It might well be much cooler later in the weekend and we wanted to cover all possibilities."

How does Spa-Francorchamps compare to other tracks in terms of tyre wear?

"It is not too abrasive and, despite the high temperatures generated by sustained high-speed running, the rate of wear is only moderate. Like all circuits, of course, it throws up its own special problems, but that's why we're here . We thrive on such challenges."