Ferrari return home as dominant as ever
Michael Schumacher fired up the party mood among Italian fans on Friday by leading a Ferrari one-two in free practice for the champion's homecoming.
Schumacher, returning to Ferrari's home track with the title won and a string of records under his belt, lapped 0.225 of a second quicker than Brazilian team mate Rubens Barrichello.
Finland's Kimi Raikkonen, in a McLaren, ended the day third quickest, 0.583 adrift of Schumacher, ahead of Jaguar's Eddie Irvine.
Schumacher's time of one minute 22.433 seconds was only two tenths off Juan Pablo Montoya's 2001 pole time of 1:22.216 and suggested that, weather permitting, Formula One could be in for the fastest race in history on Sunday.
Monza, the fastest track on the calendar and last race of the European season, holds the current record with an average speed of 150.76 mph set by Briton Peter Gethin in a BRM in 1971.
Last year's race, won by Montoya in a Williams, saw an average of 148.572 and lap times this season have been getting faster.
Barrichello had managed only two laps in the morning before being sidelined by a brake problem, but he was soon up to speed in the afternoon session.
Ferrari fans unfurled a giant banner in the main grandstand hailing the champions but there were still empty seats on a largely incident-free day as the Ferraris went through their set-up routine.
WARM WELCOME
"It is a pleasure for us to be here in Monza for the Italian Grand Prix where our fans have given us a really warm welcome," said Ferrari boss Jean Todt.
The team have their own reserved grandstand at the circuit, where the local 'tifosi' (fans) are famed for their loud and loyal support.
Schumacher has dominated the year, becoming the first driver to win 10 times in a single season, and is set to set a points record on Sunday as well as chalking up his 17th successive podium finish.
"We did some tyre checks, we made a few set-up changes trying to improve our performance, and we can be quite confident even if at this stage of the weekend nobody knows too much," said Schumacher.
Irvine's pace, in what the former Ferrari driver considers something of a home race since he spends much of the year in Milan, followed up the strong showing from Spa two weeks ago when he finished sixth.
"The good news is that we are quick, the bad news is that we are worried about the brakes," said Britain's Irvine.
"We have suffered from a brake issue all season and if there is one circuit that exposes the fact more than any other, it's Monza."
Sauber's Felipe Massa and Nick Heidfeld became the first drivers to use the HANS head and neck protection system, mandatory from next year, at a grand prix weekend.
"I had no problems at all with it and I'm pretty sure that I'm going to wear it in the race," said Massa.
McLaren's David Coulthard skidded out early in the afternoon session, ending a miserable day for the Scot who was also fined $8,500 for exceeding the pit lane speed limit in the morning.
At the rear end of the field, Malaysian Alex Yoong returned from a two-race layoff at Minardi after failing to qualify for three grands prix.
He lapped faster than Australian team mate Mark Webber in the morning. But he ended up in his usual last place on the timesheets by the end of the day after parking up.
