
Michael Schumacher won for the fifth consecutive time at the start of the 2004 F1 season, day after winning the fourth pole position in 2004 and thus equating the 12-year-old record of Nigel Mansell who also won first five races of the season.
It was his 200th GP start, race victory number 75 and fastest lap number 60.
After Jenson Button beat him in Imola qualifying and won his first career pole, Schumacher convincingly secured pole position in Barcelona ahead of Montoya (+0.617 s) and Sato (+0.787 s) while Button made a mistake in the fast Turn 9, went off the track and had to start from the 14th on the grid.
Trulli has qualified fourth in Renault and Barrichello fifth in second Ferrari with more fuel onboard as the Brazilian was on a two stop strategy while the drivers ahead of him were on a three stop strategy.
Trulli had a fantastic start from the fourth place and took the lead which he held until the end of the ninth lap when he first entered the pits while Schumacher pitted lap latter and returned ahead of him.
Schumacher had a problem with a cracked exhaust during the race, but managed to reach the finish line and keep the first place in front of two stopping Barrichello and Trulli.
Alonso failed to repeat last year’s performance when he splitted the Ferraris and finished fourth behind his teammate while Sato finished fifth in BAR Honda.
Ralf Schumacher won the only points for Williams in sixth place after Montoya retired in lap 46 due to brake problems while Fisichella finished seventh in Sauber Ferrari. The final point was won by Jenson Button in a race where he should compete for the podium.
STARTING GRID
1 | 1 | M.Schumacher | Ferrari | 1:15.022 | – |
2 | 3 | J.P.Montoya | Williams/BMW | 1:15.639 | 0.617 |
3 | 10 | Takuma Sato | BAR/Honda | 1:15.809 | 0.787 |
4 | 7 | Jarno Trulli | Renault | 1:16.144 | 1.122 |
5 | 2 | R.Barrichello | Ferrari | 1:16.272 | 1.250 |
6 | 4 | Ralf Schumacher | Williams/BMW | 1:16.293 | 1.271 |
7 | 17 | Olivier Panis | Toyota | 1:16.313 | 1.291 |
8 | 8 | Fernando Alonso | Renault | 1:16.422 | 1.400 |
9 | 14 | Mark Webber | Jaguar/Cosworth | 1:16.514 | 1.492 |
10 | 5 | David Coulthard | McLaren/Mercedes | 1:16.636 | 1.614 |
11 | 16 | C.da Matta | Toyota | 1:17.038 | 2.016 |
12 | 11 | G.Fisichella | Sauber/Petronas | 1:17.444 | 2.422 |
13 | 6 | Kimi Räikkönen | McLaren/Mercedes | 1:17.445 | 2.423 |
14 | 9 | Jenson Button | BAR/Honda | 1:17.575 | 2.553 |
15 | 18 | Nick Heidfeld | Jordan/Ford | 1:17.802 | 2.780 |
16 | 15 | Christian Klien | Jaguar/Cosworth | 1:17.812 | 2.790 |
17 | 12 | Felipe Massa | Sauber/Petronas | 1:17.866 | 2.844 |
18 | 20 | Gianmaria Bruni | Minardi/Cosworth | 1:19.817 | 4.795 |
19 | 19 | Giorgio Pantano | Jordan/Ford | 1:20.607 | 5.585 |
20 | 21 | Z.Baumgartner | Minardi/Cosworth | 1:21.470 | 6.448 |
RACE RESULTS
1 | 1 | M.Schumacher | Ferrari | 66 | 1:27:32.841 | |
2 | 2 | R.Barrichello | Ferrari | 66 | 1:27:46.131 | 13.290 |
3 | 7 | Jarno Trulli | Renault | 66 | 1:28:05.135 | 32.294 |
4 | 8 | Fernando Alonso | Renault | 66 | 1:28:05.793 | 32.952 |
5 | 10 | Takuma Sato | BAR/Honda | 66 | 1:28:15.168 | 42.327 |
6 | 4 | Ralf Schumacher | Williams/BMW | 66 | 1:28:46.645 | 1:13.804 |
7 | 11 | G.Fisichella | Sauber/Petronas | 66 | 1:28:49.949 | 1:17.108 |
8 | 9 | Jenson Button | BAR/Honda | 65 | 1:27:40.536 | 1 lap |
9 | 12 | Felipe Massa | Sauber/Petronas | 65 | 1:27:57.220 | 1 lap |
10 | 5 | David Coulthard | McLaren/Mercedes | 65 | 1:28:14.419 | 1 lap |
11 | 6 | Kimi Räikkönen | McLaren/Mercedes | 65 | 1:28:17.262 | 1 lap |
12 | 14 | Mark Webber | Jaguar/Cosworth | 65 | 1:28:17.539 | 1 lap |
13 | 16 | C.da Matta | Toyota | 65 | 1:28:23.263 | 1 lap |
(14) | 19 | Giorgio Pantano | Jordan/Ford | 51 | 1:11:17.704 | Hydraulics |
(8) | 3 | J.P.Montoya | Williams/BMW | 46 | 1:02:19.938 | Brakes |
(15) | 15 | Christian Klien | Jaguar/Cosworth | 43 | 58:52.203 | Throttle |
(14) | 17 | Olivier Panis | Toyota | 33 | 45:18.994 | Hydraulics |
(17) | 18 | Nick Heidfeld | Jordan/Ford | 33 | 45:30.426 | Hydraulics |
(19) | 20 | Gianmaria Bruni | Minardi/Cosworth | 31 | 44:28.507 | Brakes |
(20) | 21 | Z.Baumgartner | Minardi/Cosworth | 17 | 24:31.705 | Spun off |
Fastest lap: Michael Schumacher – 1:17.450 (lap 12)
DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP AFTER 5/18 RACES
1 | Michael Schumacher | 50 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
2 | Rubens Barrichello | 32 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 3 | 8 |
3 | Jenson Button | 24 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 1 |
4 | Fernando Alonso | 21 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 |
5 | Jarno Trulli | 21 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 6 |
6 | Juan Pablo Montoya | 18 | 4 | 8 | – | 6 | – |
7 | Ralf Schumacher | 12 | 5 | – | 2 | 2 | 3 |
8 | Takuma Sato | 8 | – | – | 4 | – | 4 |
9 | David Coulthard | 4 | 1 | 3 | – | – | – |
10 | Giancarlo Fisichella | 2 | – | – | – | – | 2 |
11 | Felipe Massa | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | – |
12 | Kimi Räikkönen | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | – |
13 | Mark Webber | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – |
14 | Cristiano da Matta | 0 | – | – | – | – | – |
15 | Olivier Panis | 0 | – | – | – | – | – |
16 | Christian Klien | 0 | – | – | – | – | – |
17 | Giorgio Pantano | 0 | – | – | – | – | – |
18 | Gianmaria Bruni | 0 | – | – | – | – | – |
19 | Zsolt Baumgartner | 0 | – | – | – | – | – |
20 | Nick Heidfeld | 0 | – | – | – | – | – |
CONSTRUCTORS’ CHAMPIONSHIP
1 | Ferrari | 82 | 18 | 15 | 18 | 13 | 18 |
2 | Renault | 42 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 11 |
3 | BAR/Honda | 32 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 5 |
4 | Williams/BMW | 30 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 3 |
5 | McLaren/Mercedes | 5 | 1 | 3 | – | 1 | – |
6 | Sauber/Petronas | 3 | – | 1 | – | – | 2 |
7 | Jaguar/Cosworth | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – |
8 | Toyota | 0 | – | – | – | – | – |
9 | Jordan/Ford | 0 | – | – | – | – | – |
10 | Minardi/Cosworth | 0 | – | – | – | – | – |