MONTREAL, June 14: Ferrari’s world champion Michael Schumacher brushed the barriers before lapping faster than his rivals on Saturday in a wet Canadian Grand Prix practice session.

Times were slowed by a damp track and steady drizzle on a cold and grey morning but Schumacher led the way with a lap of one minute 23.385 seconds at a circuit that has favoured him more than any other driver.

The German, chasing his sixth Canadian Grand Prix victory on Sunday to regain the Formula One championship lead from Finland’s Kimi Raikkonen, was 0.292 seconds quicker than Brazilian team mate Rubens Barrichello.

The five times world champion skidded at turn one and slid towards the tyre barriers in the second session, nudging them without doing any damage. He kept the engine running and returned to the track.

Barrichello, quickest in Friday’s first qualifying, had led the opening session. Italian Giancarlo Fisichella, who regularly does well in Canada, was third fastest for Jordan.

Raikkonen was 13th for McLaren.

BAR’s Canadian Jacques Villeneuve, slowest on Friday after spinning full circle within sight of the finish line, was sixth quickest as he prepared for a race that his late father Gilles won 25 years ago for Ferrari.

Several cars spun, with Germany’s Heinz-Harald Frentzen smashing the nose of his Sauber late in the first session and then pulling over in the second with a smoking engine.

Brazilian Cristiano da Matta briefly halted the second session when his Toyota hit the wall. He and French team mate Olivier Panis propped up the timesheets.

Final qualifying for Sunday’s race followed.

Canadian Grand Prix free practice times 1. Michael Schumacher (Germany) Ferrari one minute 23.385 seconds. 2. Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) Ferrari 1:23.677 3. Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy) Jordan 1:25.240 4. Fernando Alonso (Spain) Renault 1:25.382 5. Ralf Schumacher (Germany) Williams 1:25.668 6. Jacques Villeneuve (Canada) BAR 1:25.704 7. David Coulthard (Britain) McLaren 1:25.839 8. Jenson Button (Britain) BAR 1:25.902 9. Jarno Trulli (Italy) Renault 1:25.961 10. Mark Webber (Australia) Jaguar 1:26.440 11. Nick Heidfeld (Germany) Sauber 1:26.537 12. Ralph Firman (Britain) Jordan 1:26.690 13. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) McLaren 1:26.771 14. Justin Wilson (Britain) Minardi 1:27.018 15. Antonio Pizzonia (Brazil) Jaguar 1:27.145 16. Juan Pablo Montoya (Colombia) Williams 1:28.225 17. Jos Verstappen (Netherlands) Minardi 1:28.246 18. Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Germany) Sauber 1:29.190 19. Cristiano da Matta (Brazil) Toyota 1:29.215 20. Olivier Panis (France) Toyota 1:30.410—Reuters