2004 Formula One season
Season 2005>
The Formula 1 2004 season was the 55th FIA Formula 1 World Championship. She was discharged through 18 races in the period from 7 March to 24 October.
For a total of 7 times, for the 5th time in a row and the last time Michael Schumacher became world champion, making it the most successful Formula 1 driver racing history. The Ferrari team could opt for a total of 14 times and 6 times in a row the World Champion title in the constructors' championship for themselves.
In many driven this season race was achieved by the winner either, of the line configuration or even track configuration across the still valid fastest average speed. The fastest ever recorded in a Formula 1 race speed and the single round with the highest average speed taken from the race in Monza 2004. Resulted in the following years successively adopted rule changes to reduce costs and to increase competition for the audience to make more exciting to the fact that the best times of this order fastest Formula 1 season on many routes despite technological advances have stock.
- 4.1 Australian Grand Prix
- 4.2 Malaysian Grand Prix
- 4.3 Grand Prix of Bahrain
- 4.4 Grand Prix of San Marino
- 4.5 Grand Prix of Spain
- 4.6 Grand Prix of Monaco
- 4.7 European Grand Prix
- 4.8 Canadian Grand Prix
- 4.9 United States Grand Prix
- 4:10 Grand Prix of France
- 4:11 Grand Prix of Great Britain
- 4:12 Grand Prix of Germany
- 4:13 Grand Prix of Hungary
- 4:14 Grand Prix of Belgium
- 4:15 Grand Prix of Italy
- 4:16 Grand Prix of China
- 4:17 Grand Prix of Japan
- 4:18 Grand Prix of Brazil
- 6.1 Drivers' Championship
- 6.2 Constructors' Championship
Changes in 2004
Racetracks
During the 2004 season 18 Grand Prix were held. For the first time the Bahrain Grand Prix was held on 4 April, the Chinese Grand Prix was also held on 26 September for the first time.
Rules
The qualifying session was completely laid on the Saturday and divided into two sessions, in which the driver only allowed to drive a fast lap each. In the first session, the riders start in the order in which they came in the previous race to the finish ( the first race of the sequence after the World Cup Final of 2003 was chosen ). It is used to determine the order for the second session in which it then goes to the grid positions for the race. The second session was right after the first one. The pilots drove in reverse order of the first Qualifyingabschnittes.
In order to achieve a cost reduction, the rule was introduced that each motor is to hold an entire race weekend. Must a motor can be replaced during the weekend, the driver is liable to a deterioration of the launch area of ten places.
Electronic driving aids were limited. The launch control ( Launch Control ), and the fully automatic control of the transmission were banned. The traction control remained, but was only allowed to intervene from a speed of 100 km / hr.
The speed limit in the pit lane was increased from 80 km / h to 100 km / h. In individual cases, however, was omitted from safety consideration.
At Friday's training, the teams were allowed to use a third driver from the 2004 season. Exceptions to this rule are the teams in the constructors' championship places 1 to 4 occupied in the previous season.
Driver
The 2004 season began with some changes in the driver line-up of the teams. The team Minardi, Jordan and Sauber changed it from all drivers.
Nick Heidfeld and Giancarlo Fisichella changed places by Heidfeld and Fisichella went to Jordan to clean. The second new driver at Sauber was Felipe Massa, who returned after a year as a Ferrari test driver for Sauber. Massa denied even the 2002 season for the Sauber team. Jordan sat as second driver the third placed the last Formula 3000 season, Giorgio Pantano, a.
Takuma Satō replaced Jacques Villeneuve at BAR - Honda before the end of the Formula 1 season 2003 because the Canadian team management was too expensive. Villeneuve left the Formula 1 for a few months until he was reactivated by Renault for the early and surprisingly fired Jarno Trulli for two races of the season in 2004, without making any particular impression. Jarno Trulli had left after the Italian Grand Prix, Renault, but was already at the Grand Prix of Japan, this time for Toyota Racing, re-entering the World Cup.
Even Heinz- Harald Frentzen Formula 1 had left because he could not find a more Contracting team. At Jaguar Christian Klien replaced the previous driver Justin Wilson. Minardi started with Gianmaria Bruni and Zsolt Baumgartner as new drivers.
Further changes were made during the season.
Teams and Drivers
Race Calendar
Race Reports
Grand Prix of Australia
The Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne ( Australia) was held on 7 March 2004 was over 58 laps ( 307.574 km ).
Contrary to the competition, who had expected after the winter break with tire problems at Bridgestone expectations, Michael Schumacher access to training after a few rounds of good lap times, which made the idea even Ferraris forgotten before the season.
Schumacher reached the pole position ahead of Barrichello and Montoya and ran 1:24,125 minutes the fastest lap. Only Alonso was able to match the speed of the two leading Ferrari driver during the race.
With Massa, Heidfeld, Bruni, Webber, Baumgartner and Raikkonen six riders could not finish the race due to technical problems.
Grand Prix of Malaysia
The Malaysian Grand Prix in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia was held on 21 March 2004 was over 56 laps ( 310.408 km ).
Also in the furnace of Malaysia - the asphalt temperature was 40 degrees on race day - Ferrari could bring the best car at the start. The qualifying surprising second-placed Mark Webber on the Michelin tires Jaguar led only briefly to eventually excrete after a spin in the 24th round.
For McLaren, the race was disappointing: although Coulthard came in sixth place, but Kimi Raikkonen had after engine failure in Melbourne to give up this time with a gearbox failure. Montoya set the fastest lap of the race with 1:34,223 minutes, while his teammate Ralf Schumacher after a collision with Webber initially fell back and retired at the end with an engine failure.
Grand Prix of Bahrain
The Grand Prix of Bahrain in Bahrain took place on 4 April 2004, and went over 57 laps ( 308.769 km ).
In Scheichtum the Ferrari drivers drove back out a double victory. Overall, the residues of the other teams, however, were not as clear as in the first two races of the season.
McLaren experienced with a flaming engine failure at Raikkonen's car and a transmission failure at Coulthard a "black weekend ". After only four points in three starts, no one spoke at Mercedes over the world title. Ralf Schumacher playful in a collision with Satō better placement than 7th place
Michael Schumacher managed, however, after the pole ahead of Barrichello and Montoya and the victory and the fastest lap of the race with 1:34,223 minutes.
Grand Prix of San Marino
The Grand Prix of San Marino at Imola was held on 25 April 2004, and went about 62 laps ( 305.606 km ).
Jenson Button celebrated his first pole in qualifying. Michael Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya ranked in the starting blocks 2 and 3 early in the first round there was a wheel - to-wheel duel both pilots by two curves, where Montoya tried to overtake at inappropriate places and Schumacher his carriage to the was being carried out, that the Colombians came off the track. Race director Charlie Whiting saw this but as a normal racing duel, so that both opponents were left without warning.
Button had taken only gasoline for ten rounds and had after his pit stop, Michael Schumacher, the guide left that no longer gave these to the finish. The runner-up last year, Kimi Raikkonen, came after a botched training and the last place starting with the eighth rank and a lap down for the first time in 2004 in the points.
With 1:20,411 minutes Michael Schumacher set the fastest race lap. Heidfeld, da Matta, Bruni and Pantano fell out with technical problems.
Grand Prix of Spain
The Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona took place on 9 May 2004 and went over a distance of 66 laps ( 305.256 km ).
The man surprise of the weekend Takuma Satō was not able to completely and ended up in fifth place, while his teammate Button completed a verpatztes qualifying for a catching up on the last point ranking its steady speed. After the pole position for Michael Schumacher Ferrari captured next to the fifth victory in the fifth race also an unchallenged double victory. With 1:17,450 minutes Schumacher also set the fastest lap of the race again.
The 10th and 11th position of the two McLaren Mercedes driver Coulthard and Raikkonen marked a new low for the ambitious team. Both Williams drivers were struggling with brake problems, which even Montoya was forced to retire. Other failures were reported by Pantano, Klien, Panis, Heidfeld, Bruni and Baumgartner.
Grand Prix of Monaco
The Monaco Grand Prix in Monte Carlo was held on May 23, 2004 went over a distance of 77 laps ( 257.180 km ).
In the Trulli Qualifying reached the pole position ahead of Ralf Schumacher and Button.
Already in the third lap of the race, there was a rollover of Giancarlo Fisichella's Sauber due to an engine failure of Takuma Sato's BAR- Honda and the forming cloud of smoke. It was followed by the first safety car phase, the later after an accident by Fernando Alonso, who to round while trying to Ralf Schumacher in the tunnel passage, into the barriers another followed drove.
The leading after the start Trulli came during the first safety car period in the pit lane at the early stop. Michael Schumacher then took over the lead and drove the fastest lap of 1:14,439.
One round before the end of the second safety car period drove the moving behind the German Juan Pablo Montoya in the rear of the Ferrari and Schumacher pushed into the barriers. With a broken left front suspension and front bumper torn off Schumacher was then forced to abandon the race. This Trulli was able to celebrate his first Grand Prix victory, while Nick Heidfeld import his first this year's championship points in the losing Jordan - Ford.
Grand Prix of Europe
The European Grand Prix at the Nürburgring took place on 30 May 2004, went over a distance of 60 laps ( 308.863 km ).
The pole position reached before Michael Schumacher and Trulli Satō. Schumacher won safely and once again achieved the fastest lap with 1:29,468 minutes.
Montoya collided at the start with his teammate Ralf Schumacher, who had just finish the race. Also da Matta was involved in the accident and also different from. Montoya damaged thereby also the front bumper of his car, but finally was able to reach 8th place.
Both McLaren drivers left in the first half of the race with engine damage. 13 laps to go Satō also failed with a defective motor.
Grand Prix of Canada
The Grand Prix of Canada in Montreal, took place on 13 June 2004 and went over a distance of 70 laps ( 305.270 km ).
In qualifying, Ralf Schumacher was able to achieve the first time this season in pole position ahead of Button and Trulli. After the race, Ralf Schumacher was at the awards ceremony on the podium 2, but was later disqualified due to an irregular brake ducts as well as his teammate Montoya and the two Toyota drivers da Matta and Panis.
The two Renaults left the first time in the 2004 season with technical problems. Also Massa, Satō, Bruni and Webber were due to problems with the technology.
Jordan replacement driver Timo Glock came in eleventh place and moved through the disqualifications of Williams and Toyota to 7th before and overtook two championship points.
The fastest lap of the race Barrichello drove with 1:13,622 minutes just before the end of the race on lap 68
United States Grand Prix
The Grand Prix of USA Indianapolis was held on 20 June 2004, went over a distance of 73 laps ( 306.016 km ).
The best starting position ahead of Schumacher and Barrichello reached Satō. Barrichello set the fastest lap of the race with 1:10,399 minutes. However, the victory went again to Michael Schumacher.
The race began with a spectacular collision between Klien, Pantano, Massa and Bruni. In the 10th round, a serious accident of Ralf Schumacher, who had hit on the start -finish straight at about 300 km / h backwards in the track wall of the steep curve followed. Schumacher could not get themselves out of the wrecked car and was taken directly to the hospital.
The second Williams - BMW driver Montoya could not finish the race. He was disqualified 15 laps to go, because he had switched a few seconds before the start of the formation lap in the spare car because his car did not work with the starting mechanism.
Grand Prix of France
The French Grand Prix at Magny -Cours took place on 4 July 2004 and went over a distance of 70 laps ( 308.586 km ).
The pole position was achieved ahead of Michael Schumacher and Coulthard Alonso. In the race, but Schumacher was able to beat Alonso. Schumacher sat for the first time in Formula 1 history, a four - stop strategy, and won it.
McLaren -Mercedes made a good start to the new MP4 - 19B: Coulthard finished sixth, seventh Raikkonen.
The fastest lap with Michael Schumacher 1:15,377 minutes. Only two drivers could not finish the race: Baumgartner and Satō dropped out prematurely.
Grand Prix of Great Britain
The Grand Prix of Great Britain at Silverstone was held on 11 July 2004 and went over a distance of 60 laps ( 308.355 km ).
The pole position reached Raikkonen before Barrichello and Button. Michael Schumacher took place only 4 Nevertheless, he was able to celebrate his 10th victory in 11 races this season and drove again with 1:18,739 minutes the fastest lap of the race.
Jarno Trulli had a spectacular crash in the 41th lap. He lost due to a broken suspension at 250 km / h in control of his Renault, raced into a tire barrier and overturned, but remained unharmed. Other failures were reported by Pantano, Baumgartner and Panis.
Grand Prix of Germany
The Grand Prix of Germany at Hockenheim was held on 25 July 2004 and went over a distance of 66 laps ( 301.884 km ).
By the seventh double success, Ferrari could secure the constructors' world championship already in this race. Barrichello was, however, after a collision with Coulthard directly at the start of the race and for the subsequent repair of his car only 12
On lap 14 Raikkonen lost his rear wing and went into a tire wall. For him, so the race was prematurely ended after he had completed previously with 1:13,780 minutes the fastest lap. Also Heidfeld and da Matta could not go to the end of the race due to technical problems.
Grand Prix of Hungary
The Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest was held on August 15, 2004, and went over a distance of 70 laps ( 306.67 kilometers ).
Michael Schumacher drove 1:19,071 minutes the fastest lap after he had already won in qualifying ahead of Barrichello and Satō pole position.
Ferrari achieved by the double victory of Schumacher and Barrichello the title of the Constructors' World Champion. McLaren -Mercedes was again able to gain any points, Räikkönen retired as the last race and also Coulthard only reached rank 9
Grand Prix of Belgium
The Belgian Grand Prix at Spa- Francorchamps was held on 29 August 2004 was over a distance of 44 laps ( 306.812 km ).
The pole position reached Trulli ahead of Michael Schumacher and Alonso. Räikkönen started from position 10, but still could win the race and drove 1:45,108 minutes also set the fastest race lap.
The race started already in the first round with two accidents: first collided with each other Satō and Webber. A short time later Pantano drove into the failed Minardi by Bruni.
For Michael Schumacher gave 2nd place to reach for the seventh time the world title as he, after 14 of 18 races already with 128 points was 40 points ahead of Barrichello.
Grand Prix of Italy
The Grand Prix of Italy at Monza took place on 12 September 2004, went over a distance of 53 laps ( 306.720 km ).
The Pole Position reached prior to Montoya Barrichello and Michael Schumacher. In the race the tire choice was crucial due to start very humid conditions. Barrichello started with rain tires and was significantly better with the wet roadway clear when the started on dry tires competitors. Michael Schumacher spun and was thus back in 15th place Panis lost in the narrow road one his front wing and had to retire.
Already 4 rounds later the track was much drier and now lay the odds on the side of the drivers on dry tires, Barrichello therefore had to take very early the first pit stop, the race but finally was able to win.
The fastest lap of the race Barrichello drove with 1:21,046 minutes.
Grand Prix of China
The Grand Prix of China in Shanghai was held September 26, 2004 and went over a distance of 56 laps ( 305.256 km ).
The race sealed the victory with Barrichello, who persistently opposed the interim attacks Raikkonen, second place in the Brazilian Championship. Michael Schumacher's comeback at the start from the pit lane, which in the meantime had taken him down to 10th place, literally fizzled when he shortly afterwards after a ride off piste ten seconds lost after a collision with the Jaguar drivers Christian Klien and after his pit stop was stuck behind the slower Jacques Villeneuve. After this was finally bent in the pits, Schumacher putting back on to the tip until hopeless threw him a puncture to the rear. Thus he had to be content with 12th place and the fastest lap of the race. Raikkonen, who should come with a brief stint at Barrichello, was stopped at the end of button that could keep him with a two -stop strategy to finish the race in check.
Grand Prix of Japan
The Grand Prix of Japan at Suzuka took place on 10 October 2004 and went over a distance of 53 laps ( 307.573 km ).
In qualifying Michael Schumacher reached the pole position ahead of his brother Ralf. These were the two starting places in the race in the rankings one and implement two.
Barrichello and Montoya had with start number 15 and 13 a poor starting position, but worked their way in the race continuously forward. Montoya ultimately reached number 7, Barrichello was also able to improve forward, but collided with Coulthard in the 38th round. Then both had to finish the race with a broken suspension. Shortly before Barrichello had graduated with 1:32,730 minutes the fastest lap of the race.
Grand Prix of Brazil
The Brazilian Grand Prix in São Paulo took place on 24 October 2004, went over a distance of 71 laps ( 305.909 km ).
Montoya was able to achieve his first win of the season in his last race for Williams - BMW and drove 1:11,473 minutes the fastest lap. In qualifying Barrichello had reached the pole position in front of Montoya and Raikkonen. In the race Barrichello dropped back to 3.
Michael Schumacher had reached the 18th starting position after a disciplinary transfer ten places due to unauthorized, but had become necessary after a serious training accident engine change and finally placed on rank 7 Despite the resulting low number of points in the last race of the season closed Schumacher season in the drivers' standings with 148 points from a new record number.
Qualifyingduelle
World Cup ratings
World Champion will be the one driver or designer who has accumulated up to the end of the season the most points in the World Championship. The distribution of points, the placings in the overall results of each race are taken into account. The eight first-placed rider in each race will receive points according to the following scheme: