Friday May 5th, 2000

David Coulthard made an impressive return to Formula One action on Friday with the fifth-fastest time in Spanish Grand Prix practice behind championship leader Michael Schumacher.

The 29-year-old Scot, who escaped from a plane crash at Lyon airport on Tuesday that killed the two British pilots, completed only one lap in the opening morning session but ended the day with 20 under his belt.

The McLaren driver was unable to stop Schumacher and his younger brother Ralf from dominating practice.

Schumacher, in a Ferrari, clocked a best time of one minute and 21.982 seconds to lead his brother by half a second. Ralf, in a Williams, clocked 1:22.509.

Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, seeking his first win since joining Ferrari at the start of the year, was third-fastest ahead of Italian Jarno Trulli in a Jordan.

Coulthard followed, with 20-year-old compatriot Jenson Button sixth fastest in 1:23.119 in the second Williams.

World champion Mika Hakkinen of Finland was seventh fastest in his McLaren ahead of Brazilian Pedro Diniz in a Sauber with Heinz-Harald Frentzen of Germany ninth for Jordan and Frenchman Jean Alesi 10th for Prost.

Schumacher holds a 20 points lead over Coulthard in the drivers world championship.

Pos  Driver         Team                 Time               
 1.  M.Schumacher   Ferrari              1:21.982           
 2.  R.Schumacher   Williams BMW         1:22.509   +  0.527
 3.  Barrichello    Ferrari              1:22.549   +  0.567
 4.  Trulli         Jordan Mugen-Honda   1:22.582   +  0.600
 5.  Coulthard      McLaren Mercedes     1:22.651   +  0.669
 6.  Button         Williams BMW         1:23.119   +  1.137
 7.  Hakkinen       McLaren Mercedes     1:23.266   +  1.284
 8.  Diniz          Sauber Petronas      1:23.394   +  1.412
 9.  Frentzen       Jordan Mugen-Honda   1:23.495   +  1.513
10.  Alesi          Prost Peugeot        1:23.582   +  1.600
11.  Gene           Minardi Fondmetal    1:23.868   +  1.886
12.  Fisichella     Benetton Playlife    1:24.026   +  2.044
13.  Herbert        Jaguar Cosworth      1:24.114   +  2.132
14.  Wurz           Benetton Playlife    1:24.161   +  2.179
15.  Irvine         Jaguar Cosworth      1:24.346   +  2.364
16.  Verstappen     Arrows Supertec      1:24.451   +  2.469
17.  Zonta          BAR Honda            1:24.461   +  2.479
18.  Heidfeld       Prost Peugeot        1:24.582   +  2.600
19.  Mazzacane      Minardi Fondmetal    1:24.767   +  2.785
20.  Salo           Sauber Petronas      1:24.948   +  2.966
21.  Villeneuve     BAR Honda            1:25.166   +  3.184
22.  de la Rosa     Arrows Supertec      1:25.189   +  3.207

All timing unofficial