As some might have expected, the North American swing of the 2004 Formula One season saw Ferrari crowd the podium yet again in both Montreal and Indianapolis with Michael Schumacher winning both races and teammate Rubens Barrichello taking third (initially) in Quebec and second in Indiana. Like so many other sporting events however, the final results really don't tell the whole story.
CANADIAN GP
The fact there even was a race in my former hometown this year is the first of several strokes of luck for F1 fans in New England. Facing the ban on tobacco sponsorship, Bernie Eccelstone took the Canadian race off the calendar for several months in an attempt to force the province of Quebec to lift the ban temporarily for the race. It took a significant amount of negotiation and concessions to make the event a reality, but fortunately the show did go on (albeit with many of the cars zipping around the track covered in blank patches in which Marlboro, West and other cigarette logos would normally appear).
In terms of the race this one had all the makings of a significant Ferrari upset, which always adds a healthy dose of excitement for all 317,000 spectators on hand save maybe the most devoted Tifosi. Even for the face-painted, flag-waving Ferrari fans, seeing the two red cars start in sixth and seventh place made for a thrilling (half) of the race. Ralf Schumacher won the pole in one of the BMW-Williams cars followed by Jenson Button, Jarno Trulli, Juan Pablo Montoya, and Fernando Alonso all of whom (with the exception of maybe Montoya) have made considerable progress this season and would do anything they could to maintain a lead over the Ferraris.
For a welcome change, this Grand Prix wasn't decided merely by some technological advantage developed during the off-season by Ferrari's astronomical racing budget. This race, in large part, was won by basic racing strategy, which certainly would have been questioned had the results been different. The two-stop game proved to be exactly what the doctor ordered and allowed the Ferraris to move up several positions after a mere 14 laps when Ralf came in for his first (of three) stops. In defense of the other teams, a first corner mishap and the normal attrition of the demanding Circuit Gilles Villeneuve also helped the Ferrari cause (two of the cars qualifying ahead of Michael Schumacher didn't finish the race).
They managed it anyway, however, and Ferrari took first and third and eventually first and second after both the BMW-Williams (Ralf Schumacher originally took second) and Toyota teams were disqualified. The win gave Michael Schumacher his sixth victory in seven races along with a commanding lead in both the driver's and constructor's champion standings. As a footnote, I personally find the win interesting not because Michael's wife Cora goes to the same Salon as my wife when in town, but rather because it marked the first time a driver won a single GP a record seven times. And as easy as the Ferrari team continues to make it look, you might want to scan just a little deeper into the race results next time you go through the Monday newspaper. There might be more to "Ferrari wins again" than you think.
UNITED STATES GP
The US Grand Prix at Indianapolis was the third of its kind after the long hiatus. And while the Ferrari team posted an even more convincing win than in Montreal (if that's even possible), this race was rife with its own interesting developments. While crashes and injuries are something no compassionate onlooker wants to report, Ralf Schumacher did have a significant collision on lap 10. Ralf suffered a concussion and will likely miss at least the next two races.
On a more pleasant note, the 2004 USGP was marked by the first podium finish for F1 driver Takayuma Sato of the BAR-Honda team. It was the first by the Japanese since Aguri Suzuki’s third place at Suzuka in 1990. Sato mentioned that the fans in Indy were among the most devoted and enthusiastic on the entire calendar.
For a full recap of both races, see: www.planetf1.com.
Grant,
Great work...can't wait to keep reading.
-Ed
Posted by: Ed Ryan | September 28, 2004 at 09:56 AM