2004 Australian Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Michael Schumacher opened his title defence in commanding fashion at Albert Park Circuit, leading every lap of a Ferrari one-two. Rubens Barrichello followed him home, while Fernando Alonso took third as the new season began with a formidable display from the reigning champions.

Result	Driver / Time	Team
Pole position	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari
Pole time	1:24.408
Fastest lap	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari
Fastest-lap time	1:24.125 on lap 29
First	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari
Second	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari
Third	Fernando Alonso	Renault

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
5 March 2004	Practice 1	11:00
5 March 2004	Practice 2	14:00
6 March 2004	Practice 3	10:00
6 March 2004	Practice 4	11:15
6 March 2004	Qualifying 1	14:00
6 March 2004	Qualifying 2	After first qualifying
7 March 2004	Race	14:00

All times are local. The race time is the scheduled start; weather delays and interruptions are described below.

Championship background

The 2004 F1 World Championship introduced a one-engine-per-weekend rule, with a ten-place grid penalty for an engine replacement. The bottom six teams from the previous constructors’ championship could run a third car on Fridays. Two Saturday single-lap qualifying sessions replaced the Friday and Saturday format: the first established the running order for the second, which alone decided the grid.

Race entries

Christian Klien joined Jaguar alongside Mark Webber, while Giorgio Pantano and Nick Heidfeld formed Jordan’s race line-up. Gianmaria Bruni and Zsolt Baumgartner raced for Minardi, Giancarlo Fisichella moved to Sauber alongside the returning Felipe Massa, and Takuma Sato began a full season with BAR. Davidson, Wirdheim, Ricardo Zonta and Timo Glock drove third cars on Friday. Minardi’s proposed Friday driver, Bas Leinders, could not take part because he had not yet secured his Super Licence.

Free Practice

Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello immediately put the new Ferrari F2004 at the front on Friday morning. The temporary circuit offered little grip early on, prompting da Cristiano da Matta to limit his running rather than use unnecessary engine mileage. Toyota relied on third driver Ricardo Zonta for much of its tyre comparison work, an early illustration of how the new engine rule and Friday-car allowance would shape practice.

Ferrari extended its advantage in the afternoon, with Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello more than a second clear of Jarno Trulli. Strong, changeable wind caught Michael Schumacher out as he explored the limits, but he recovered to finish fastest. Jenson Button gave BAR encouragement with fourth before stopping with a mechanical problem. Da Cristiano da Matta’s afternoon was less productive: brake trouble and a puncture interrupted his programme.

Michael Schumacher remained quickest when Saturday running began, although Williams moved closer to Ferrari. Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher followed the two red cars, while Toyota accumulated useful mileage as it worked on the balance that had troubled its drivers on Friday. Olivier Panis completed 16 laps in this session, laying the groundwork for a much more competitive final practice.

Juan Pablo Montoya closed to within two tenths of Michael Schumacher in the last session. The changing track conditions affected the teams differently: BAR slipped back, while Olivier Panis rose to sixth after gaining confidence in his Toyota’s handling. Mark Webber kept Jaguar in the top eight at his home race, but Kimi Räikkönen and David Coulthard remained around a second off the fastest lap.

Free Practice 1 Classification

2004 Australian Grand Prix FP1, 5 March 2004

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:25.127	4
2	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+0.234s	9
3	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	+1.898s	10
4	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	+2.137s	5
5	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	+2.232s	14
6	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	+2.335s	12
7	4	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	+2.548s	11
8	9	Jenson Button	BAR	+2.740s	7
9	35	Anthony Davidson	BAR	+2.794s	25
10	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	+2.962s	6
11	38	Ricardo Zonta	Toyota	+2.991s	17
12	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	+3.106s	5
13	10	Takuma Sato	BAR	+3.747s	6
14	16	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	+3.828s	11
15	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Sauber	+3.993s	6
16	17	Olivier Panis	Toyota	+4.042s	12
17	18	Nick Heidfeld	Jordan	+4.699s	11
18	37	Bjorn Wirdheim	Jaguar	+4.906s	24
19	15	Christian Klien	Jaguar	+4.919s	7
20	19	Giorgio Pantano	Jordan	+4.973s	18
21	39	Timo Glock	Jordan	+5.491s	12
22	21	Zsolt Baumgartner	Minardi	+7.759s	14
23	20	Gianmaria Bruni	Minardi	+8.109s	8
24	12	Felipe Massa	Sauber	No time	1

Free Practice 2 Classification

2004 Australian Grand Prix FP2, 5 March 2004

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:24.718	15
2	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+0.108s	22
3	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	+1.039s	23
4	9	Jenson Button	BAR	+1.068s	15
5	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	+1.135s	22
6	4	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	+1.164s	26
7	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	+1.488s	19
8	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	+1.497s	17
9	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	+1.594s	17
10	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	+1.861s	18
11	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Sauber	+1.883s	27
12	10	Takuma Sato	BAR	+2.249s	15
13	12	Felipe Massa	Sauber	+2.251s	26
14	38	Ricardo Zonta	Toyota	+2.447s	25
15	35	Anthony Davidson	BAR	+2.798s	11
16	16	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	+2.992s	11
17	15	Christian Klien	Jaguar	+3.006s	20
18	17	Olivier Panis	Toyota	+3.089s	16
19	18	Nick Heidfeld	Jordan	+3.108s	15
20	37	Bjorn Wirdheim	Jaguar	+4.063s	30
21	20	Gianmaria Bruni	Minardi	+4.273s	18
22	21	Zsolt Baumgartner	Minardi	+4.990s	9
23	19	Giorgio Pantano	Jordan	+5.343s	18
24	39	Timo Glock	Jordan	+5.573s	4

Free Practice 3 Classification

2004 Australian Grand Prix FP3, 6 March 2004

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:25.786	13
2	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+0.373s	8
3	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	+0.409s	13
4	4	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	+0.604s	11
5	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	+0.642s	5
6	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	+0.824s	7
7	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	+0.939s	6
8	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	+1.018s	5
9	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	+1.031s	14
10	9	Jenson Button	BAR	+1.209s	11
11	17	Olivier Panis	Toyota	+1.321s	16
12	16	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	+1.931s	14
13	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Sauber	+1.958s	9
14	12	Felipe Massa	Sauber	+2.555s	15
15	10	Takuma Sato	BAR	+2.652s	12
16	15	Christian Klien	Jaguar	+2.786s	7
17	19	Giorgio Pantano	Jordan	+4.271s	13
18	18	Nick Heidfeld	Jordan	+4.447s	13
19	20	Gianmaria Bruni	Minardi	+5.524s	12
20	21	Zsolt Baumgartner	Minardi	+6.509s	14

Free Practice 4 Classification

2004 Australian Grand Prix FP4, 6 March 2004

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:25.093	13
2	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	+0.162s	9
3	4	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	+0.535s	9
4	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+0.556s	12
5	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	+0.815s	11
6	17	Olivier Panis	Toyota	+0.823s	14
7	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	+0.834s	9
8	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	+0.973s	11
9	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	+1.034s	8
10	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	+1.040s	11
11	9	Jenson Button	BAR	+1.310s	14
12	16	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	+1.504s	17
13	15	Christian Klien	Jaguar	+1.995s	14
14	12	Felipe Massa	Sauber	+2.079s	13
15	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Sauber	+2.102s	12
16	10	Takuma Sato	BAR	+2.499s	9
17	18	Nick Heidfeld	Jordan	+2.662s	14
18	19	Giorgio Pantano	Jordan	+3.732s	12
19	20	Gianmaria Bruni	Minardi	+5.403s	16
20	21	Zsolt Baumgartner	Minardi	+6.670s	13

Qualifying

Michael Schumacher converted Ferrari’s practice speed into pole, with Rubens Barrichello alongside and Juan Pablo Montoya third. The decisive lap was completed with race fuel aboard, so qualifying also offered the first clues to the opening stint strategies. Jenson Button matched Juan Pablo Montoya’s time but took fourth, with Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber on the third row.

Olivier Panis could not record a time after an electrical problem left him without a working throttle. Gianmaria Bruni and Christian Klien also finished without a second-session time. For Toyota, that setback was particularly frustrating after Olivier Panis had shown substantially better pace during the morning.

Qualifying Classification

2004 Australian Grand Prix Qualifying, 6 March 2004

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	First qualifying	Second qualifying	Laps
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:25.301	1:24.408	6
2	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	1:25.992	1:24.482	6
3	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	1:25.226	1:24.998	6
4	9	Jenson Button	BAR	1:25.898	1:24.998	6
5	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	1:25.928	1:25.699	6
6	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	1:26.232	1:25.805	6
7	10	Takuma Sato	BAR	1:26.737	1:25.851	6
8	4	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	1:25.445	1:25.925	6
9	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	1:27.357	1:26.290	6
10	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	1:25.592	1:26.297	6
11	12	Felipe Massa	Sauber	1:26.833	1:27.065	6
12	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	1:25.652	1:27.294	6
13	16	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	1:28.274	1:27.823	6
14	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Sauber	1:26.286	1:27.845	6
15	18	Nick Heidfeld	Jordan	1:27.469	1:28.178	6
16	19	Giorgio Pantano	Jordan	1:29.156	1:30.140	6
17	21	Zsolt Baumgartner	Minardi	1:32.606	1:30.681	6
18	17	Olivier Panis	Toyota	1:27.253	DNS	3
19	15	Christian Klien	Jaguar	1:27.258	DNF	4
20	20	Gianmaria Bruni	Minardi	1:30.912	DNS	3

Olivier Panis did not get time in Q2 due to electronics problems.

Christian Klien and Gianmaria Bruni did not get time in Q2 due to hydraulics problems.

What happened in the 2004 Australian Grand Prix?

Fernando Alonso attacked immediately at the start, taking third as Juan Pablo Montoya ran wide at the first corner. The two Ferraris escaped at the front, leaving Fernando Alonso to establish a comfortable cushion over the chasing pack. Takuma Sato touched Jarno Trulli’s Renault in the opening exchanges, while Juan Pablo Montoya faced a recovery through traffic.

Michael Schumacher controlled all 58 laps and Rubens Barrichello completed a Ferrari one-two. Fernando Alonso could neither challenge the leaders nor be caught by the cars behind, and duly secured third. Ralf Schumacher finished fourth, ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya, whose opening-lap mistake had cost him the opportunity to fight Renault on equal terms.

Jenson Button, Jarno Trulli and David Coulthard collected the remaining points. Kimi Räikkönen retired with an engine problem, beginning a difficult weekend for McLaren with no reward on his side of the garage. Pole, victory, fastest lap and every lap led gave Michael Schumacher a grand slam and the perfect start to the championship.

After the race, Michael Schumacher headed the drivers’ standings with 10 points, followed by Rubens Barrichello on 8. Ferrari led the constructors’ table on 18, with Williams on 9.

2004 Australian Grand Prix race results

The 2004 Australian Grand Prix was held on 7 March 2004, with a scheduled start of 14:00 local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	58	1:24:15.757	10
2	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	58	+13.605	8
3	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	58	+34.673	6
4	4	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	58	+1:00.423	5
5	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	58	+1:08.536	4
6	9	Jenson Button	BAR	58	+1:10.598	3
7	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	57	+1 Lap	2
8	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	57	+1 Lap	1
9	10	Takuma Sato	BAR	57	+1 Lap	0
10	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Sauber	57	+1 Lap	0
11	15	Christian Klien	Jaguar	56	+2 Laps	0
12	16	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	56	+2 Laps	0
13	17	Olivier Panis	Toyota	56	+2 Laps	0
14	19	Giorgio Pantano	Jordan	55	+3 Laps	0
Ret	12	Felipe Massa	Sauber	44	Engine	0
Ret	18	Nick Heidfeld	Jordan	43	Transmission	0
NC	20	Gianmaria Bruni	Minardi	43	+15 Laps	0
Ret	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	29	Transmission	0
Ret	21	Zsolt Baumgartner	Minardi	13	Electrical	0
Ret	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	9	Engine/Spin	0

2004 Australian Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time	Avg. Speed
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	29	1:24.125	226.933
2	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	8	1:24.179	226.788
3	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	10	1:25.088	224.365
4	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	42	1:25.286	223.844
5	4	Ralf Schumacher	Williams	11	1:25.824	222.441
6	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	15	1:25.952	222.110
7	9	Jenson Button	BAR	24	1:25.982	222.032
8	10	Takuma Sato	BAR	43	1:26.077	221.787
9	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	9	1:26.275	221.278
10	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Sauber	39	1:26.282	221.260
11	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	13	1:26.328	221.142
12	12	Felipe Massa	Sauber	11	1:26.846	219.823
13	18	Nick Heidfeld	Jordan	27	1:27.503	218.173
14	17	Olivier Panis	Toyota	35	1:27.807	217.417
15	16	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	41	1:27.820	217.385
16	15	Christian Klien	Jaguar	6	1:27.840	217.336
17	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	7	1:27.936	217.098
18	19	Giorgio Pantano	Jordan	15	1:28.523	215.659
19	20	Gianmaria Bruni	Minardi	10	1:30.161	211.741
20	21	Zsolt Baumgartner	Minardi	8	1:30.621	210.666

Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear. Average speeds are in km/h. No fastest-lap bonus point was awarded.

2004 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings after the 2004 Australian Grand Prix.

2004 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Michael Schumacher	German	Ferrari	10
2	Rubens Barrichello	Brazilian	Ferrari	8
3	Fernando Alonso	Spanish	Renault	6
4	Ralf Schumacher	German	Williams	5
5	Juan Pablo Montoya	Colombian	Williams	4
6	Jenson Button	British	BAR	3
7	Jarno Trulli	Italian	Renault	2
8	David Coulthard	British	McLaren	1
9	Takuma Sato	Japanese	BAR	0
10	Giancarlo Fisichella	Italian	Sauber	0
11	Christian Klien	Austrian	Jaguar	0
12	Cristiano da Matta	Brazilian	Toyota	0
13	Olivier Panis	French	Toyota	0
14	Giorgio Pantano	Italian	Jordan	0
–	Felipe Massa	Brazilian	Sauber	0
–	Nick Heidfeld	German	Jordan	0
–	Gianmaria Bruni	Italian	Minardi	0
–	Mark Webber	Australian	Jaguar	0
–	Zsolt Baumgartner	Hungarian	Minardi	0
–	Kimi Räikkönen	Finnish	McLaren	0

2004 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Ferrari	18
2	Williams	9
3	Renault	8
4	BAR	3
5	McLaren	1
6	Sauber	0
7	Jaguar	0
8	Toyota	0
9	Jordan	0
–	Minardi	0

2004 Formula 1 Race Calendar

Round	Grand Prix	Circuit	Date
1	2004 Australian Grand Prix	Albert Park Circuit, Melbourne	7 March
2	2004 Malaysian Grand Prix	Sepang International Circuit, Sepang	21 March
3	2004 Bahrain Grand Prix	Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir	4 April
4	2004 San Marino Grand Prix	Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola	25 April
5	2004 Spanish Grand Prix	Circuit de Catalunya, Montmeló	9 May
6	2004 Monaco Grand Prix	Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo	23 May
7	2004 European Grand Prix	Nürburgring, Nürburg	30 May
8	2004 Canadian Grand Prix	Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, Montréal	13 June
9	2004 United States Grand Prix	Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis	20 June
10	2004 French Grand Prix	Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, Magny-Cours	4 July
11	2004 British Grand Prix	Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone	11 July
12	2004 German Grand Prix	Hockenheimring, Hockenheim	25 July
13	2004 Hungarian Grand Prix	Hungaroring, Mogyoród	15 August
14	2004 Belgian Grand Prix	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot	29 August
15	2004 Italian Grand Prix	Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza	12 September
16	2004 Chinese Grand Prix	Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai	26 September
17	2004 Japanese Grand Prix	Suzuka International Racing Course, Suzuka	10 October
18	2004 Brazilian Grand Prix	Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo	24 October