As for the other teams it would be Ferrari who would continued to maintain their position at the top of the times. Michael Schumacher was first ahead of team-mate Barrichello. Michael would end the session with a 1m:20.750 and Barrichello four tenths behind with a 1:21.178.

In third was McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen, followed by Heinz-Harald Frentzen. After the dramas of Friday Frentzen must have been happy just to get out on the track. To set such a competitive time must have been very encouraging. Team boss Tom Walkinshaw had been able to secure a deal with Cosworth on Saturday morning regarding the outstanding payment for the teams Cosworth engines.

Fifth was BAR’s Jacques Villeneuve ahead of McLaren’s David Coulthard, Takuma Sato, Frentzen’s Arrows’ team-mate Enrique Bernoldi, and the Renaults of Jarno Trulli and Jenson Button.

Pedro de la Rosa piloted his Jaguar R3B to eleventh. Team-mate Eddie Irvine would have problems with his gearbox stopping him from setting a time. Nick Heidfeld was twelfth.

Felipe Massa in the Sauber was fifteenth, ahead of Olivier Panis, Mark Webber, and Mika Salo, who was back in the cockpit today following his stomach upset yesterday. Allan McNish and Alex Yoong rounded out the list. Jordan’s Giancarlo Fisichella did not record a time lap after some electronic dramas.