page_title: 2004 Formula One World Championship
section_title: Season report
hierarchical_section_title: 2004 Formula One World Championship / Season report
caption_attribution_description: English: Michael Schumacher, United States Grand Prix, Indianapolis, 2004
context_page_description: The 2004 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 58th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It was the 55th FIA Formula One World Championship, and was contested over eighteen races from 7 March to 24 October 2004.
  The championship was dominated by Michael Schumacher and Ferrari, with Schumacher winning the Drivers' Championship for the seventh time. Schumacher's teammate Rubens Barrichello finished the championship in second with Jenson Button coming in third for BAR. Ferrari won the Constructors' Championship for a record 14th time ahead of BAR and Renault.
  In this championship, several records were broken. Michael Schumacher won 13 races, breaking his record of 11 race wins in one season from 2002. He also broke the record for most consecutive World Drivers' title and Ferrari broke the record for most consecutive Constructors' titles.
context_section_description: The season started in Australia at Albert Park where Michael Schumacher led a Ferrari 1–2. He followed that up with another victory at Sepang and led another Ferrari 1–2 at Bahrain. Jenson Button scored his maiden pole in San Marino but Michael Schumacher beat him to the line. Thereafter Schumacher dominated the Spanish Grand Prix as well. In Monaco Jarno Trulli won from pole after surviving intense pressure from Jenson Button in a race that saw Michael Schumacher crash out. Schumacher won the European GP at the Nurburgring. 
  At the 2004 Canadian Grand Prix, Timo Glock replaced Giorgio Pantano, for financial reasons. Williams and Toyota were excluded from the race due to an irregularity in the brake ducts. That meant the Jordan and McLaren teams were the main beneficiaries of the disqualifications, with Jordan's Nick Heidfeld and Glock both scoring points, Glock in his debut Formula One race. The United States Grand Prix had a high attrition rate that saw only eight cars cross the finish line in a race dominated by accidents and saw Ralf Schumacher make a massive accident. This race, won by Schumacher, also saw the Minardi team score their first points since 2002, with Zsolt Baumgartner finishing 8th.
  In France, Schumacher beat Fernando Alonso with a strategic move. In Britain he overpowered polesitter, Kimi Räikkönen, to take his 10th win of the season. In Germany, he won after his main opponent, Kimi Räikkönen, suffered a rear wing failure after setting faster laps than Schumacher. Cristiano da Matta's string of disappointing results during the season led to his replacement by test driver Ricardo Zonta from the Hungarian onward although he would drive again for the 2004 Japanese Grand Prix. Schumacher led another Ferrari 1–2 in Hungary to secure Ferrari the Constructors' trophy.
  The Belgian GP also included accidents and safety car periods. Kimi Räikkönen eventually won the race from a low 10th place on the grid. Michael Schumacher finished second and thus secured himself the world title. 
  In a rain-affected Italian GP, Barrichello led a Ferrari 1–2 in front of the loyal Tifosi.  Immediately before the 2004 Chinese Grand Prix, Giorgio Pantano was dropped by the Jordan team and Timo Glock replaced him for the last three races. 
  The Chinese GP was also won by Barrichello. Button and Räikkönen finished less than 2 seconds behind. Michael Schumacher could only make it to 12th place due to starting from the pit lane.
  The Japanese GP weekend was somewhat spoiled by a typhoon that caused widespread damage to parts of Japan and which saw the postponement of qualifying to the morning of race day. Michael Schumacher took his 13th win in a race that saw the rain die down. The Brazilian GP was won by Juan Pablo Montoya on his last outing for the Williams team, scoring their last victory until the 2012 Spanish Grand Prix. In the end, Schumacher was on top with 148 points followed by Barrichello with 114 points. Ferrari led the Constructors' Championship with 262 points.
caption: Ferrari won the 2004 FIA Formula One World Championship for Constructors
exif: {}