Schumacher still on top

Michael Schumacher ominously signalled his intent ahead of this weekend's San Marino Grand Prix by posting the fastest time in the first free-practice session.

Schumacher, who has his sights set on a seventh Formula One world title after winning the first three races of this season, was comfortably quickest around the 4.933-kilometre Imola track.

The 35-year-old German clocked one minute 20.084 seconds in his Ferrari, more than two seconds faster than his pole position lap of a year ago when he also went on to win the event for the fifth time.

Team-mate Rubens Barrichello and the rest of the field trailed in Schumacher's wake, with the Brazilian second quickest, albeit an astonishing 1.359 seconds adrift.

Brother Ralf was third in his Williams-BMW, however more than two seconds off the pace, with Anthony Davidson outpacing his more illustrious BAR team-mates of Jenson Button and Takuma Sato by claiming fourth in the team's spare car.

The Briton clocked 1:22.398, with Button fifth as he targets a third consecutive podium finish following his third places in Malaysia and Bahrain, with Juan Pablo Montoya sixth in his Williams-BMW.

The McLarens were again down the field as Kimi Raikkonen, yet to score a point this season due to the car's unreliability, was eighth and David Coulthard 10th, the Scot more than three seconds behind Schumacher.