INDIANAPOLIS, Sept 29: World champion Michael Schumacher prepared for a straight fight with Ferrari team mate Rubens Barrichello Sunday with the fastest warm-up lap for the US Formula One Grand Prix.

The two start from the front row together, with Schumacher on pole for the third year in a row for a race likely to bring champions Ferrari their 14th win in 16 starts this year.

Schumacher, who has won a record 10 times since the season started in Australia in March, clinched his fifth championship more than two months ago.

The German lapped The Brickyard circuit in one minute 13.183 seconds, 0.138 faster than Barrichello, on a bright and warm morning in Indianapolis.

France’s Olivier Panis, driving a BAR, was third fastest ahead of Japan’s Takuma Sato in a Jordan.

Italian Giancarlo Fisichella, also in a Jordan, registered the fastest speed of 341.7 kph in the session.

Neither Panis, who starts 12th, nor Sato in 15th can expect to provide any competition for Ferrari who have been in a class of their own all weekend and can look forward to leaving America with their fourth successive one-two finish.

Schumacher said on Saturday that he and Barrichello, limited by ‘team orders’ all season, would be free to race each other now that the titles were decided and the Brazilian is sure to finish as runner-up.

Some 150,000 fans, the majority wearing Ferrari red caps and shirts, are expected in the biggest one-day turnout of a season marked by dwindling crowds and television viewing figures as the Italian team’s domination continues.

Warmup times:

Times in Sunday’s warm-up for the U.S. Formula One Grand Prix: 1. Michael Schumacher (Germany) Ferrari one minute 13.183 seconds. 2. Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) Ferrari 1:13.321 3. Olivier Panis (France) BAR 1:13.471 4. Takuma Sato (Japan) Jordan 1:13.718 5. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) McLaren 1:13.765 6. Mika Salo (Finland) Toyota 1:13.867 7. Eddie Irvine (Britain) Jaguar 1:13.898 8. David Coulthard (Britain) McLaren 1:13.930 9. Jenson Button (Britain) Renault 1:14.074 10. Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy) Jordan 1:14.154 11. Juan Pablo Montoya (Colombia) Williams 1:14.223 12. Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Germany) Sauber 1:14.236 13. Jarno Trulli (Italy) Renault 1:14.254 14. Jacques Villeneuve (Canada) BAR 1:14.377 15. Nick Heidfeld (Germany) Sauber 1:14.603 16. Ralf Schumacher (Germany) Williams 1:14.650 17. Pedro de la Rosa (Spain) Jaguar 1:14.844 18. Allan McNish (Britain) Toyota 1:15.220 19. Mark Webber (Australia) Minardi 1:15.257 20. Alex Yoong (Malaysia) Minardi 1:15.522—Reuters