Ferrari's Michael Schumacher set the fastest time in Saturday's final practice session at Imola ahead of this afternoon's qualifying session for the San Marino Grand Prix. With the Italian circuit dry for the first time in the weekend, the world champion beat McLaren's David Coulthard into second place.

Rubens Barrichello was third fastest in the second Ferrari, ahead of the Sauber of Nick Heidfeld. Both Williams drivers also made it into the top six with Ralf Schumacher fifth quickest ahead of team mate Juan Pablo Montoya.

After yesterday's wet conditions, the sun had returned to Imola for Saturday morning. However the track was still slightly damp from overnight rain, prompting most drivers to use intermediate tyres for the first 45-minute session.

The Bridgestone runners and in particular Ferrari dominated the early part of that first session, but as the track continued to dry the Michelin teams came good with Williams snatching a one-two in the final minute

However, by the start of the second 45-minute stint the Imola surface was practically dry as track temperatures rose to 24°C, with almost all the drivers reappearing on grooved tyres. The Renaults were among the first out with Jarno Trulli briefly topping the times, before David Coulthard and Kimi Raikkonen went one-two for McLaren after eight minutes.

Montoya was the next of the big hitters to go top after 19 minutes before Schumacher took charge just three minutes later. The world champion briefly lost the top spot to Coulthard before reasserting himself for the final time with ten minutes to go. He also managed to improve his time further, despite a trip across the gravel at Rivazza ending one promising lap.

Raikkonen eventually finished just outside the top six in seventh, one place ahead of Renault's Jenson Button, who jumped up the order in the final minute after a generally low-key session. Team mate Jarno Trulli ended the morning in 12th place.

Jacques Villeneuve put Honda's new evolution engine to good use as he set the ninth fastest time for BAR, with team mate Oliver Panis close behind in 11th. Fellow Honda runners Jordan meanwhile had a difficult day. Takuma Sato survived more than one trip across the Acque Minerali gravel, both in wet and dry conditions, to finish 14th. Team mate Giancarlo Fisichella was one place higher, despite both his sessions ending prematurely after offs at Acque Minerali and Piratella respectively.

Arrows again experienced mixed fortunes around the Imola circuit. Heinz-Harald Frentzen proved his and the A23's potential by setting the tenth fastest time, but team mate Enrique Bernoldi failed to match his colleague's pace and ended the morning in 16th place.

Eddie Irvine, running as high as second early in session two, finished the day in 15th at the wheel of the Jaguar R3. Team mate Pedro de la Rosa ended the morning in 18th after a difficult first session, which finished when he put his car into the gravel at Ravazza, having failed to set a time.

After Friday's disappointing performance in the wet, Toyota were glad to see the return of dry conditions as Mika Salo and Allan McNish finished 17th and 20th respectively. Meanwhile, with team mate Nick Heidfeld a strong fourth, Sauber's Felipe Massa was left languishing in 21st after an off at Acque Minerali, which looked to have damaged his left-rear suspension.

Mark Webber broke into the top 20 in 19th for Minardi, with team mate Alex Yoong finishing 22nd after surviving two spins in the second 45-minute session.

With an equal split of Bridgestone and Michelin runners in the top ten and with dry conditions expected for qualifying, a closely-fought battle for pole position is now expected at Imola this afternoon ahead of tomorrow's San Marino Grand Prix.