AUGUST 30, 2000

Coulthard tops times after criticizing Monza

MCLAREN'S David Coulthard topped the times in Wednesday's rain-hit testing session at Monza, Italy, despite criticizing the new set-up of the Italian circuit.

MCLAREN'S David Coulthard topped the times in Wednesday's rain-hit testing session at Monza, Italy, despite criticizing the new set-up of the Italian circuit.

Coulthard produced a quickest lap time of one minute and 26.080 seconds to take the honors for the day despite earlier hitting out at the new set-up of the circuit since major redevelopment work on the track was finished.

The Scot finished ahead of British American Racing's Ricardo Zonta, who narrowly finished ahead of Coulthard's McLaren team-mate Mika Hakkinen, who ended the day third fastest.

Jordan's Heinz-Harald Frentzen ended the day fourth quickest with Jacques Villeneuve trailing him in fifth ahead of Italian Jarno Trulli.

BMW-Williams duo Ralf Schumacher and Jenson Button continued their set-up work by going seventh and eighth, respectively, with Ferrari's Michael Schumacher ninth quickest and team-mate Rubens Barrichello 11th fastest.

Italian Giancarlo Fisichella produced the 10th quickest time of the day before he was involved in a heavy collision with the barriers at the Ascari chicane.

The Benetton driver injured his knees and elbows in the 330km/h shunt but despite his chassis being destroyed, escaped the incident without major injury.

Fisichella's team-mate finished 12th of the 18 drivers with Jaguar's Johnny Herbert, Sauber's Pedro Diniz and Minardi's Gaston Mazzacane pushing him hard in the times.

German Nick Heidfeld, of Prost, Arrows' Jos Verstappen and Sauber's Mika Salo prop up the drivers in the times.

Wednesday's times from testing at Monza:

POS DRIVER ENTRANT TIME
David Coulthard McLaren 1:26.080
Ricardo Zonta BAR 1:26.241
Mika Hakkinen McLaren 1:26.313
Heinz-Harald Frentzen Jordan 1:26.398
Jacques Villeneuve BAR 1:26.498
Jarno Trulli Jordan 1:26.534
Ralf Schumacher BMW-Williams 1:26.611
Jenson Button BMW-Williams 1:26.780
Michael Schumacher Ferrari 1:26.842
10  Giancarlo Fisichella Benetton 1:27.021
11  Rubens Barrichello Ferrari 1:27.200
12  Alexander Wurz Benetton 1:27.748
13  Johnny Herbert Jaguar 1:28.147
14  Pedro Diniz Sauber 1:28.171
15  Gaston Mazzacane Minardi 1:28.333
16  Nick Heidfeld Prost 1:28.870
17  Jos Verstappen Arrows 1:28.964
18  Mika Salo Sauber 1:28.986