Barrichello

SPIELBERG, Austria -- Rubens Barrichello celebrated his new Ferrari contract by upstaging teammate and world champion Michael Schumacher in practice for the Austrian Grand Prix.

Whether the Brazilian, now set to stay at the Formula One champions to the end of 2004, can win on Sunday is another question at a circuit where last year Ferrari ordered him to move aside for the German.

Schumacher has never won in Austria, the only race missing from his collection, and Barrichello was coy about the likelihood of him being allowed to prevent the four times champion completing his set.

"I don't like to read too much into the future," he told a news conference.

"We'll wait until Sunday and then see what's going to happen. If we get worried about too many things we are burning energy and it's not worth it.

"I don't really care about the future, to be honest. If I can win the race, I'll be very happy to do it. If not, I'll keep on trying and see what comes next."

"Friday times don't mean much at all," added the Brazilian after lapping 0.030 of a second faster than Schumacher with a time of one minute 10.549 seconds.

Confidence boost
Barrichello has finished only one race in five this year but he does not lack confidence.

He ran Schumacher close in the morning, when he finished second after skidding off into the gravel at the end, and slashed his time in the afternoon.

But the German was unperturbed: "Things have gone smoothly today," he said.

"We had a few little excursions into the gravel but on this circuit that is quite normal. The competition is close, with four cars within one tenth of a second."

Ferrari's dominance -- Schumacher has won four of the season's five races -- certainly appeared less overt as their rivals narrowed the gap.

Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya, the Williams driver who is 21 points behind Schumacher in second place in the championship, was third quickest.

"I think this is going to be a tough weekend but we hope to be closer to Ferrari here," he said. His time was only 0.064 off Barrichello's best and 0.034 slower than Schumacher's.

Teammate Ralf Schumacher, Michael's younger brother, was 12th fastest.

Well ahead of him was McLaren's Finn Kimi Raikkonen, fourth quickest, with Toyota's Allan McNish the fastest Briton on the day with the fifth best lap.

"We are not yet where we want to be and it's difficult to estimate where we are compared to the rest," said McLaren's David Coulthard, in ninth place.

The Honda-powered Jordans of Italian Giancarlo Fisichella and Japan's Takuma Sato, still seeking their first points of the season, looked strong in the first overcast session.

But Fisichella spun off in the second and was beached in the gravel, completing just 26 laps. The Italian ended up 18th of the 22 drivers.