2004 Australian Grand Prix

The 2004 Australian Grand Prix, officially known as the 2004 Foster's Australian Grand Prix, was the opening round of the FIA Formula One World Championship, which took place at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit in Melbourne, Australia, on 7 March 2004.'Australian GP, 2004', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 2014), https://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr714.html, (Accessed 16/12/2019) The race would see defending Champions Michael Schumacher and open their title defence in perfect fashion, claiming a dominant victory.
There had been very little change to either the rules or the teams over the winter, although teams placed fifth and below in were allow to run a third car in practice as testing restrictions were increased. Driver-wise there were no changes among the top teams in the Championship, although Takuma Sato would get a full race seat at , while Felipe Massa returned to after a year out as Ferrari's test driver.
Qualifying, which remained unchanged from the format introduced in 2003, would see Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello claim a front-row lockout for Ferrari, half a second clear of the rest of the field. Juan Pablo Montoya was best of the rest for , while Jenson Button was a surprise fourth for BAR-Honda.
The start fell even more in Ferrari's favour, as the two scarlet cars got off the grid in perfect formation to claim an early lead. Behind, Fernando Alonso launched away brilliantly to jump Button and challenge Montoya, resulting in the Colombian ace locking up a sliding across the grass on the outside of the first corner.
With that the fight for victory was effectively over, with Schumacher easing away with Barrichello, while Alonso struggled to keep pace. Behind, Sato damaged his car after tapping the back of Jarno Trulli, while the two Saubers had lost a lot of ground as a result of Montoya's scramble back onto the circuit at the first corner.
Indeed, it was the fight in the midfield that would provide the main entertainment during the race, with Giancarlo Fisichella and Nick Heidfeld, having swapped seats during the winter, battling hard. Ahead, Montoya would make up some ground with moves on Mark Webber and Button, as well as teammate Ralf Schumacher during the first round of stops.
Nick Heidfeld collided with pit stop mechanic Matt Deane and refueller Mick Gomme were hit by the car and suffered some bruising.
Elsewhere, the two had a very poor afternoon, with Kimi Räikkönen, runner-up in 2003, ending up in eleventh before retiring. David Coulthard fared little better as he slipped to eighth during the early stages, and failed to lap within two seconds of either of the Ferraris throughout the race.
Indeed, the opening round of the season would be very tame, with Schumacher cruising after the first round of stops, while Barrichello failed to muster a challenge. Likewise, Alonso was on his own in third after the early stages, while the battle between the two Williams' was decided in the pitstops, with Ralf Schumacher ultimately getting back ahead.
Michael Schumacher, meanwhile, would collect fastest lap and a new lap record as he cruised to victory, while Barrichello made it a perfect start for the Scuderia in second. Alonso was an equally distant third to complete the podium, with Ralf Schumacher, Montoya, Button, Trulli and Coulthard likewise having quiet runs to complete the points.
==Background==
===Entry list===
The full entry list for the is outlined below:
No. 	Driver 	Entrant 	Constructor 	Chassis 	Engine 	Model 	Tyre
1 	Michael Schumacher 	Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro 	 	F2004 	 	053 3.0 V10 	
2 	Rubens Barrichello 	Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro 	 	F2004 	 	053 3.0 V10 	
3 	Juan Pablo Montoya 	BMW Williams F1 Team 	 	FW26 	 	P84 3.0 V10 	
4 	Ralf Schumacher 	BMW Williams F1 Team 	 	FW26 	 	P84 3.0 V10 	
5 	David Coulthard 	West McLaren Mercedes 	 	MP4-19 	 	FO 110Q 3.0 V10 	
6 	Kimi Räikkönen 	West McLaren Mercedes 	 	MP4-19 	 	FO 110Q 3.0 V10 	
7 	Jarno Trulli 	Mild Seven Renault F1 Team 	 	R24 	 	RS24 3.0 V10 	
8 	Fernando Alonso 	Mild Seven Renault F1 Team 	 	R24 	 	RS24 3.0 V10 	
9 	Jenson Button 	Lucky Strike BAR Honda 	 	006 	 	RA004E 3.0 V10 	
10 	Takuma Sato 	Lucky Strike BAR Honda 	 	006 	 	RA004E 3.0 V10 	
11 	Giancarlo Fisichella 	Sauber Petronas 	 	C23 	 	04A 3.0 V10 	
12 	Felipe Massa 	Sauber Petronas 	 	C23 	 	04A 3.0 V10 	
14 	Mark Webber 	Jaguar Racing 	 	R5 	 	CR-6 3.0 V10 	
15 	Christian Klien 	Jaguar Racing 	 	R5 	 	CR-6 3.0 V10 	
16 	Cristiano da Matta 	Panasonic Toyota Racing 	 	TF104 	 	RVX-04 3.0 V10 	
17 	Olivier Panis 	Panasonic Toyota Racing 	 	TF104 	 	RVX-04 3.0 V10 	
18 	Nick Heidfeld 	Jordan Ford 	 	EJ14 	 	RS2 3.0 V10 	
19 	Giorgio Pantano 	Jordan Ford 	 	EJ14 	 	RS2 3.0 V10 	
20 	Gianmaria Bruni 	Minardi Cosworth 	 	PS04B 	 	CR-3L 3.0 V10 	
21 	Zsolt Baumgartner 	Minardi Cosworth 	 	PS04B 	 	CR-3L 3.0 V10 	
Test Drivers for Practice Sessions Only 	Test Drivers for Practice Sessions Only 	Test Drivers for Practice Sessions Only 	Test Drivers for Practice Sessions Only 	Test Drivers for Practice Sessions Only 	Test Drivers for Practice Sessions Only 	Test Drivers for Practice Sessions Only 	Test Drivers for Practice Sessions Only
35 	Anthony Davidson 	Lucky Strike BAR Honda 	 	006 	 	RA004E 3.0 V10 	
37 	Björn Wirdheim 	Jaguar Racing 	 	R5 	 	CR-6 3.0 V10 	
38 	Ricardo Zonta 	Panasonic Toyota Racing 	 	TF104 	 	RVX-04 3.0 V10 	
39 	Timo Glock 	Jordan Ford 	 	EJ14 	 	RS2 3.0 V10 	
40 	Bas Leinders 	Minardi Cosworth 	 	PS04B 	 	CR-3L 3.0 V10 	
Source:'Australia 2004: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2004/australie/engages.aspx, (Accessed 16/12/2019)	Source:'Australia 2004: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2004/australie/engages.aspx, (Accessed 16/12/2019)	Source:'Australia 2004: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2004/australie/engages.aspx, (Accessed 16/12/2019)	Source:'Australia 2004: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2004/australie/engages.aspx, (Accessed 16/12/2019)	Source:'Australia 2004: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2004/australie/engages.aspx, (Accessed 16/12/2019)	Source:'Australia 2004: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2004/australie/engages.aspx, (Accessed 16/12/2019)	Source:'Australia 2004: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2004/australie/engages.aspx, (Accessed 16/12/2019)	Source:'Australia 2004: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2004/australie/engages.aspx, (Accessed 16/12/2019)
* Leinders was entered as Third Driver but was refused a superlicence until he completed the required mileage in an F1 car. He satisfied this requirement before the next race.
==Practice Overview==
==Qualifying==
===Q1 Report===
===Q2 Report===
===Qualifying Results===
The full qualifying results for the are outlined below:
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Constructor 	Time 	Time 	Gap
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Constructor 	Q1 	Q2 	Gap
1 	1 	Michael Schumacher 	 	1:25.301 	1:24.408 	—
2 	2 	Rubens Barrichello 	 	1:25.992 	1:24.482 	+0.074s
3 	3 	Juan Pablo Montoya 	 	1:25.226 	1:24.998 	+0.590s
4 	9 	Jenson Button 	 	1:25.898 	1:24.998 	+0.590s
5 	8 	Fernando Alonso 	 	1:25.928 	1:25.669 	+1.261s
6 	14 	Mark Webber 	 	1:26.232 	1:25.805 	+1.397s
7 	10 	Takuma Sato 	 	1:26.737 	1:25.851 	+1.443s
8 	4 	Ralf Schumacher 	 	1:25.445 	1:25.925 	+1.517s
9 	7 	Jarno Trulli 	 	1:27.357 	1:26.290 	+1.882s
10 	6 	Kimi Räikkönen 	 	1:25.592 	1:26.297 	+1.889s
11 	12 	Felipe Massa 	 	1:26.833 	1:27.065 	+2.657s
12 	5 	David Coulthard 	 	1:25.652 	1:27.294 	+2.886s
13 	16 	Cristiano da Matta 	 	1:28.274 	1:27.823 	+3.415s
14 	11 	Giancarlo Fisichella 	 	1:26.286 	1:27.845 	+3.437s
15 	18 	Nick Heidfeld 	 	1:27.469 	1:28.178 	+3.770s
16 	19 	Giorgio Pantano 	 	1:29.156 	1:30.140 	+5.732s
17 	21 	Zsolt Baumgartner 	 	1:32.606 	1:30.681 	+6.273s
NC* 	17 	Olivier Panis 	 	1:27.253 	— 	—
NC* 	15 	Christian Klien 	 	1:27.258 	— 	—
NC* 	20 	Gianmaria Bruni 	 	1:30.912 	— 	—
Source:'2004 Foster's Australian Grand Prix - QUALIFYING 1', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2004/races/753/australia/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 16/12/2019)'2004 Foster's Australian Grand Prix - QUALIFYING 2', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2004/races/753/australia/qualifying-2.html, (Accessed 16/12/2019)'Australia 2004: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2004/australie/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 16/12/2019)	Source:'2004 Foster's Australian Grand Prix - QUALIFYING 1', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2004/races/753/australia/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 16/12/2019)'2004 Foster's Australian Grand Prix - QUALIFYING 2', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2004/races/753/australia/qualifying-2.html, (Accessed 16/12/2019)'Australia 2004: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2004/australie/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 16/12/2019)	Source:'2004 Foster's Australian Grand Prix - QUALIFYING 1', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2004/races/753/australia/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 16/12/2019)'2004 Foster's Australian Grand Prix - QUALIFYING 2', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2004/races/753/australia/qualifying-2.html, (Accessed 16/12/2019)'Australia 2004: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2004/australie/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 16/12/2019)	Source:'2004 Foster's Australian Grand Prix - QUALIFYING 1', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2004/races/753/australia/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 16/12/2019)'2004 Foster's Australian Grand Prix - QUALIFYING 2', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2004/races/753/australia/qualifying-2.html, (Accessed 16/12/2019)'Australia 2004: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2004/australie/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 16/12/2019)	Source:'2004 Foster's Australian Grand Prix - QUALIFYING 1', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2004/races/753/australia/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 16/12/2019)'2004 Foster's Australian Grand Prix - QUALIFYING 2', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2004/races/753/australia/qualifying-2.html, (Accessed 16/12/2019)'Australia 2004: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2004/australie/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 16/12/2019)	Source:'2004 Foster's Australian Grand Prix - QUALIFYING 1', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2004/races/753/australia/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 16/12/2019)'2004 Foster's Australian Grand Prix - QUALIFYING 2', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2004/races/753/australia/qualifying-2.html, (Accessed 16/12/2019)'Australia 2004: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2004/australie/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 16/12/2019)	Source:'2004 Foster's Australian Grand Prix - QUALIFYING 1', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2004/races/753/australia/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 16/12/2019)'2004 Foster's Australian Grand Prix - QUALIFYING 2', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2004/races/753/australia/qualifying-2.html, (Accessed 16/12/2019)'Australia 2004: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2004/australie/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 16/12/2019)
*T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car to set their best time in that session.
** Panis no time in Q2 due to a electronics problem.
** Klien no time in Q2 due to a hydraulics problem.
** Bruni no time in Q2 due to a hydraulics problem.
*Bold indicates a driver's best/qualifying time.
===Grid===
==Race==
===Report===
===Results===
The full results for the are outlined below:
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Constructor 	Laps 	Time/Retired 	Grid 	Points
1 	1 	Michael Schumacher 	 	58 	1:24:15.757 	1 	10
2 	2 	Rubens Barrichello 	 	58 	+13.605s 	2 	8
3 	8 	Fernando Alonso 	 	58 	+34.673s 	5 	6
4 	4 	Ralf Schumacher 	 	58 	+1:00.423 	8 	5
5 	3 	Juan Pablo Montoya 	 	58 	+1:08.536 	3 	4
6 	9 	Jenson Button 	 	58 	+1:10.598 	4 	3
7 	7 	Jarno Trulli 	 	57 	+1 Lap 	9 	2
8 	5 	David Coulthard 	 	57 	+1 Lap 	12 	1
9 	10 	Takuma Sato 	 	57 	+1 Lap 	7 	
10 	11 	Giancarlo Fisichella 	 	57 	+1 Lap 	14 	
11 	15 	Christian Klien 	 	56 	+2 Laps 	19 	
12 	16 	Cristiano da Matta 	 	56 	+2 Laps 	13 	
13 	17 	Olivier Panis 	 	56 	+2 Laps 	18 	
14 	19 	Giorgio Pantano 	 	55 	+3 Laps 	16 	
Ret 	12 	Felipe Massa 	 	44 	Engine 	11 	
Ret 	18 	Nick Heidfeld 	 	43 	Transmission 	15 	
NC* 	20 	Gianmaria Bruni 	 	43 	+15 Laps 	20 	
Ret 	14 	Mark Webber 	 	29 	Transmission 	6 	
Ret 	21 	Zsolt Baumgartner 	 	13 	Electrical 	17 	
Ret 	6 	Kimi Räikkönen 	 	9 	Engine 	10 	
Source:'Australia 2004: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2004/australie/classement.aspx, (Accessed 16/12/2019)	Source:'Australia 2004: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2004/australie/classement.aspx, (Accessed 16/12/2019)	Source:'Australia 2004: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2004/australie/classement.aspx, (Accessed 16/12/2019)	Source:'Australia 2004: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2004/australie/classement.aspx, (Accessed 16/12/2019)	Source:'Australia 2004: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2004/australie/classement.aspx, (Accessed 16/12/2019)	Source:'Australia 2004: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2004/australie/classement.aspx, (Accessed 16/12/2019)	Source:'Australia 2004: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2004/australie/classement.aspx, (Accessed 16/12/2019)	Source:'Australia 2004: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2004/australie/classement.aspx, (Accessed 16/12/2019)
*T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car.
** Bruni was unable to be classified as he failed to complete 90% of the race distance. Bruni had to stop in the pits in the middle of the race due to a spark plug problem.
==Milestones==
* made their 550th Grand Prix appearance as an engine supplier.'1. Australia 2004', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2004/australie.aspx, (Accessed 16/12/2019)
* Gianmaria Bruni, Christian Klien and Giorgio Pantano made their debuts.'2004 Australian GP', chicanef1.com, (Chicane F1, 2014), http://www.chicanef1.com/racetit.pl?year=2004&gp=Australian%20GP&r=1, (Accessed 16/12/2019)
* Michael Schumacher claimed his 71st career victory.
* secured their 168th win as a constructor and engine supplier.
==Standings==
Michael Schumacher opened his sixth title defence with a convincing victory at the opening round, leaving Australia with ten points. Rubens Barrichello was second as he opened his account for the season, with Fernando Alonso completing the early top three. Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya were next ahead of Jenson Button, with Jarno Trulli and David Coulthard also picking up points at the opening round.
In the Constructors Championship a one-two for at the opening round left them in an already daunting position, holding eighteen points. had half the number of points in second, and were a point ahead of in third, who were the only other double scorers. and were the only other scorers in Australia.
World Championship for Drivers	World Championship for Drivers	World Championship for Drivers	World Championship for Drivers
Pos. 	Driver 	Pts. 	+/-
1 	Michael Schumacher 	10 	
2 	Rubens Barrichello 	8 	
3 	Fernando Alonso 	6 	
4 	Ralf Schumacher 	5 	
5 	Juan Pablo Montoya 	4 	
6 	Jenson Button 	3 	
7 	Jarno Trulli 	2 	
8 	David Coulthard 	1 	
World Championship for Constructors	World Championship for Constructors	World Championship for Constructors	World Championship for Constructors
Pos. 	Team 	Pts. 	+/-
1 	 	18 	
2 	 	9 	
3 	 	8 	
4 	 	3 	
5 	 	1 	
Only point scoring drivers and constructors are shown.
==References==
Images and Videos:
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References:
Category:Grand Prix articles
es:Gran Premio de Australia de 2004
Category:2004 Grands Prix
Category:Grand Prix articles
Category:Australian Grand Prix