Michael Schumacher showed that Ferrari could be a force in this weekend's San Marino Grand Prix, whcih marks the start of the European leg of the championship.

Schumacher set the fastest lap of 1:24.751 in the first practice, completing a total of four laps - two when you take into account a warm up and cool down lap.

In the afternoon session, defending race champion Fernando Alonso was quickest in a time of 1:25.043. The Spaniard failed to set a time in the first practice, electing to go out for three tours of the circuit before parking it in the garage to preserve the Renault engine.

Schumacher finished 3-10ths of a second behind Alonso in the afternoon session with BMW-Sauber test driver Robert Kubica third quickest followed by Honda test driver Anthony Davidson and Ferrari driver Felipe Massa rounding out the top five.

Giancarlo Fisichella in the second Renault, which is fitted with a brand new engine this weekend, was sixth fastest, followed by Toyota's Jarno Trulli. The top seven drivers were all within a second of the best time set by Alonso.

Williams test driver Alexander Wurz set the eighth fastest time with Juan Pablo Montoya in ninth and BMW-Sauber's Nick Heidfeld in 10th.

Canadian Jacques Villeneuve was 15th fastest in a time of 1:26.797, which was 1.7-seconds off the pace set by Alonso. Villeneuve was among a handful of drivers who failed to set a time in the opening practice.

SECOND PRACTICE

Pos  Driver        Team                     Time              Laps
 1.  Alonso        Renault             (M)  1:25.043           15
 2.  M.Schumacher  Ferrari             (B)  1:25.371 + 0.328   13
 3.  Kubica        BMW-Sauber          (M)  1:25.421 + 0.378   31
 4.  Davidson      Honda               (M)  1:25.699 + 0.656   31
 5.  Massa         Ferrari             (B)  1:25.879 + 0.836   16
 6.  Fisichella    Renault             (M)  1:25.991 + 0.948   15
 7.  Trulli        Toyota              (B)  1:26.029 + 0.986   24
 8.  Wurz          Williams-Cosworth   (B)  1:26.328 + 1.285   31
 9.  Montoya       McLaren-Mercedes    (M)  1:26.334 + 1.291   15
10.  Heidfeld      BMW-Sauber          (M)  1:26.387 + 1.344    7
11.  Button        Honda               (M)  1:26.427 + 1.384   12
12.  Raikkonen     McLaren-Mercedes    (M)  1:26.500 + 1.457   16
13.  Barrichello   Honda               (M)  1:26.653 + 1.610   19
14.  Albers        MF1-Toyota          (B)  1:26.783 + 1.740   24
15.  Villeneuve    BMW-Sauber          (M)  1:26.797 + 1.754   13
16.  Doornbos      Red Bull-Ferrari    (M)  1:26.917 + 1.874   27
17.  Rosberg       Williams-Cosworth   (B)  1:26.989 + 1.946   10
18.  Liuzzi        Toro Rosso-Cosworth (M)  1:27.128 + 2.085   24
19.  Webber        Williams-Cosworth   (B)  1:27.157 + 2.114    6
20.  Coulthard     Red Bull-Ferrari    (M)  1:27.503 + 2.460   12
21.  Monteiro      MF1-Toyota          (B)  1:27.544 + 2.501   20
22.  R.Schumacher  Toyota              (B)  1:27.639 + 2.596    5
23.  Speed         Toro Rosso-Cosworth (M)  1:27.719 + 2.676   25
24.  Klien         Red Bull-Ferrari    (M)  1:27.990 + 2.947   12
25.  Jani          Toro Rosso-Cosworth (M)  1:28.361 + 3.318   21
26.  Mondini       MF1-Toyota          (B)  1:28.833 + 3.790   27
27.  Sato          Super Aguri-Honda   (B)  1:29.870 + 4.827   23
28.  Ide           Super Aguri-Honda   (B)  1:31.042 + 5.999   20

FIRST PRACTICE

Pos  Driver        Team                     Time              Laps
 1.  M.Schumacher  Ferrari             (B)  1:24.751            4
 2.  Wurz          Williams-Cosworth   (B)  1:25.132 + 0.381   19
 3.  Kubica        BMW-Sauber          (M)  1:25.942 + 1.191   24
 4.  Davidson      Honda               (M)  1:26.012 + 1.261   27
 5.  Trulli        Toyota              (B)  1:26.417 + 1.666    7
 6.  Doornbos      Red Bull-Ferrari    (M)  1:26.498 + 1.747   18
 7.  Massa         Ferrari             (B)  1:26.596 + 1.845    4
 8.  Coulthard     Red Bull-Ferrari    (M)  1:26.678 + 1.927    7
 9.  Raikkonen     McLaren-Mercedes    (M)  1:26.938 + 2.187    5
10.  Albers        MF1-Toyota          (B)  1:28.048 + 3.297   13
11.  Speed         Toro Rosso-Cosworth (M)  1:28.498 + 3.747    6
12.  Mondini       MF1-Toyota          (B)  1:28.969 + 4.218   20
13.  Klien         Red Bull-Ferrari    (M)  1:29.106 + 4.355    6
14.  Jani          Toro Rosso-Cosworth (M)  1:29.695 + 4.944   13
15.  Monteiro      MF1-Toyota          (B)  1:29.697 + 4.946   13
16.  Liuzzi        Toro Rosso-Cosworth (M)  1:30.348 + 5.597    6
17.  Sato          Super Aguri-Honda   (B)  1:31.217 + 6.466   17
18.  Ide           Super Aguri-Honda   (B)  1:31.482 + 6.731   17
19.  Alonso        Renault             (M)   no time            3
20.  R.Schumacher  Toyota              (B)   no time            1
21.  Fisichella    Renault             (M)   no time            2
22.  Montoya       McLaren-Mercedes    (M)   no time            1
23.  Heidfeld      BMW-Sauber          (M)   no time            1
24.  Villeneuve    BMW-Sauber          (M)   no time            1
25.  Barrichello   Honda               (M)   no time            1
26.  Webber        Williams-Cosworth   (B)   no time           
27.  Rosberg       Williams-Cosworth   (B)   no time
28.  Button        Honda               (M)   no time