But he went out early in the second hour-long session and hit 200 mph on the one-kilometer long straightaway."A normal Friday in Barcelona," said McLaren team director Ron Dennis.Season points leader Michael Schumacher of Ferrari, who has 34 points to 14 for Coulthard and 12 for teammate Mika Hakkinen.Ralf Schumacher of Williams (1:22.509) was second fatest followed by Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello (1:22.549), Jordan's Jarno Trulli (1:22.582), Coulthard (1:22.651), Williams' Jenson Button (1:23.19) and Hakkinen (1:23.266).Schumacher called Friday's practice "working on the question marks.""This session is not as exciting as when you come to a track where you have not tested," he added. "It is more relaxed."Hakkinen has won the last two Spanish GPs with Coulthard second each time. Schumacher has also won it twice and, like Hakkinen, will be trying to equal Jackie Stewart's record of three victories here.The defending two-time champion complained about the slick track conditions, which was a common complaint on a warm, 25-degree day in northeastern Spain."There was a lack of grip and as a result it was difficult to find the optimum balance of the car," Hakkinen said. "I don't know exactly what caused the slippery track surface. It might be the temperature."On Thursday Coulthard spoke publicly for the first time about the Learjet crash and described how he and his physical trainer Andy Matthews and American fiancee Heidi Wichlinski climbed out of the fuselage, which had broken away from the cockpit after the jet tried an emergency landing.Coulthard expressed his sympathy to the families of the dead pilots - David Saunders and Dan Worley - and said he tried to rescue the two."Once we were all out I immediately returned to the aircraft to see if there was anything I could do for the pilots. But there was nothing I could do."FRIDAY PRACTICE TIMES1, Michael Schumacher Germany, Ferrari, 1 minute 21.982 seconds 2, Ralf Schumacher, Germany Williams, 1:22.509 3, Rubens Barrichello, Brazil, Ferrari, 1:22.549 4, Jarno Trulli, Italy, Jordan, 1:22.582 5, David Coulthard, Scotland, McLaren Mercedes, 1:22.651 6, Jenson Button, England, Williams, 1:23.119 7, Mika Hakkinen, Finland, McLaren Mercedes, 1:23.266 8, Pedro Diniz, Brazil, Sauber, 1:23.394 9, Heinz-Harald Frentzen, Germany, Jordan, 1:23.495 10, Jean Alesi, France, Prost, 1:23.582 11, Marc Gene, Spain, Minardi, 1:23.868 12, Giancarlo Fisichella, Italy, Benetton, 1:24.026 13, Johnny Herbert, England, Jaguar, 1:24.114 14, Alexander Wurz, Austria, Benetton, 1:24.161 15, Eddie Irvine, Northern Ireland, Jaguar, 1:24.346 16, Jos Verstappen, Netherlands, Arrows, 1:24.451 17, Ricardo Zonta, Brazil, BAR, 1:24.461 18, Nick Heidfeld, Germany, Prost, 1:24.582 19, Gaston Mazzacane, Argentina, Minardi, 1:24.767 20, Mika Salo, Finland, Sauber, 1:24.948 21, Jacques Villeneuve, Canada, BAR, 1:25.166 22, Pedro de la Rosa, Spain, Arrows, 1:25.189.

The Formula One driver David Coulthard chartered an aircraft yesterday and flew to Barcelona to talk about his escape from the last plane in which he was a passenger. The Formula One driver David Coulthard chartered an aircraft yesterday and flew to Barcelona to talk about his escape from the last plane in which he was a passenger. Less than 48 hours after clambering from a blazing Learjet with his fiancée, Heidi Wichlinski, the 29-year-old Scot coolly faced the world's media to describe the crash at Lyons airport and pay tribute to the two pilots who died in it.Coulthard flew to the Catalan capital ahead of Sunday's grand prix. Looking relaxed, smiling and posing for pictures in sunglasses and a grey McLaren team shirt, he told how he, Ms Wichlinski and his personal trainer, Andy Matthews, had escaped from the jet. And he spoke of his vain attempts to help the pilots, David Saunders and Dan Worley.The journey, he said, began on Tuesday in Farnborough, Hampshire, and was to have ended in Monaco at his two-bedroom, harbourside apartment. He said: "I chartered a Lear 35 which is an aircraft I am very familiar with, although this aircraft is not one I'd used before. During the flight, the co-pilot informed us that we had an engine problem and that we had to make an emergency landing at Lyons airport, which was about 10 minutes away."We had time to prepare ourselves for the landing and got into the brace position.

On impact the plane's wing tanks ruptured on the right-hand side and caught light."In spite of the flames, Coulthard managed to remain calm enough to find an escape route. He said: "When the plane came to rest, the front of the cockpit had completely broken free and it became clear that the only way out was from the front of the aircraft. I followed Andy out and because of the debris it was about three or four feet above the ground I then helped Heidi out. Once we were all out I immediately returned to the aircraft to see if there was anything I could do for the pilots. But there was nothing I could do and within a minute the emergency services had arrived to take over."He added: "I would like to express our heartfelt sympathies for the families of the two pilots who behaved in the utmost professional manner throughout the incident."Coulthard made his statement in front of hundreds of reporters, yet remained calm and collected, expressing himself determined to take part in Sunday's race. He said he was co-operating fully with the French investigation and added: "I appreciate there is a lot of interest in the incident."But my profession is motor racing and now I want the focus on this grand prix and trying to win the world championship." He was accompanied by Ms Wichlinski and Mr Matthews who had both agreed to fly with him to Barcelona, in spite of their ordeal.Ron Dennis, who heads the McLaren Formula One operation, said: "As always we operate as a team and David, Heidi and Andy are a very important part of that team.

Whilst we are in Barcelona supporting them and helping David concentrate on the forthcoming grand prix, our thoughts are with the families of the pilots."A further statement on behalf of the whole McLaren team added: "The team's focus at the moment is to create an environment that will allow both David Coulthard and Mika Hakkinen to perform at their optimum and in their usual professional manner at this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix."Coulthard is second in the drivers' championship after four races, 20 points adrift of Ferrari's Michael Schumacher.. Carl Fogarty's hopes of a swift return to the World Superbike series were deflated yesterday after doctors told the four-times champion that his recovery from a broken arm could take 12 weeks. Carl Fogarty's hopes of a swift return to the World Superbike series were deflated yesterday after doctors told the four-times champion that his recovery from a broken arm could take 12 weeks. The Ducati rider was visited by Professor Andrew Carr in Oxford 10 days after the operation to the snapped humerus bone in his left arm, suffered during the Australian round.Fogarty, who this week countered suggestions that the set-back would signal the end of a brilliant career, had hoped to be racing again within four weeks. That estimate, however, now appears wildly optimistic and the "Blackburn Bullet" may not reappear until the USA round at Laguna Seca on 9 July.Although that deals a terminal blow to his title defence, Fogarty is expected to again be the star attraction at Brands Hatch on 6 August.Luca Cadalora will ride Fogarty's factory Ducati 996 at Donington Park on 14 May. The race will mark the three-times 250cc grand prix world champion's debut in the competition.. Wakefield Trinity have denied that they have undermined the position of their coach, Andy Kelly, by appointing two men to work alongside him.