After a troubled start on Friday, with Schumacher admitting that the Italian team had yet to adapt their car to the demands of the new track, Ferrari roared back to the top of the timesheets on Saturday.

The German, winner of 12 of the season's 15 races so far, lapped the $325 million circuit in one minute 33.448 seconds with Brazilian team mate Rubens Barrichello, winner of the last race in Italy, second quickest.

Finland's Kimi Raikkonen was third fastest for McLaren with Briton Jenson Button, in a BAR, fourth after a strong showing on Friday.

The times were still slower than Friday's fastest lap of 1:33.289 set by BAR's British test driver Anthony Davidson.

Germany's Ralf Schumacher, picking up speed after a three-month layoff, was fastest in the opening session ahead of Colombian team mate Juan Pablo Montoya.

The Williams driver, refreshed and fully recovered from his big crash at Indianapolis in June, lapped in one minute 34.380 seconds.

Canadian former champion Jacques Villeneuve, making his comeback at Renault after a year out, was 10th and faster than team mate Fernando Alonso in the first session but went off in the second.

Renault are fighting BAR for second place in the championship with two races remaining after Shanghai. Ferrari and Schumacher have already won both titles.