The Scot, giving the heavily revised MP4-19B car its first real comparative test after heavy showers made a mockery of practice on Friday, lapped second fastest behind the championship leader.

Schumacher's time of one minute 14.944 seconds was comfortably inside last year's pole, set by absent brother Ralf in a Williams, of 1:15.019. Coulthard, French Grand Prix winner in 2000, lapped in 1:15.402.

However, the Briton's team mate Kimi Raikkonen, last season's overall runner-up, failed to set a competitive time after the team decided to change his car's clutch following a component failure.

McLaren are fifth in the championship with a mere 17 points from nine races after their worst start to a championship in decades.

Italian Jarno Trulli was third quickest, ahead of his Spanish Renault team mate Fernando Alonso and the sole French driver Olivier Panis in a Toyota.

Spaniard Marc Gene, standing in for the injured Ralf following the German's heavy crash at Indianapolis two weeks ago, was 13th quickest. Colombian team mate Juan Pablo Montoya, who crashed on Friday, was seventh.