2004 Italian Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Rubens Barrichello led a remarkable Ferrari recovery to win the Italian Grand Prix, with Michael Schumacher charging back to second after an opening-lap spin. Jenson Button finished third as the tifosi celebrated a home one-two at Autodromo Nazionale di Monza.

Result	Driver / Time	Team
Pole position	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari
Pole time	1:20.089
Fastest lap	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari
Fastest-lap time	1:21.046 on lap 41
First	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari
Second	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari
Third	Jenson Button	BAR

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
10 September 2004	Practice 1	11:00
10 September 2004	Practice 2	14:00
11 September 2004	Practice 3	09:00
11 September 2004	Practice 4	10:15
11 September 2004	Qualifying 1	13:00
11 September 2004	Qualifying 2	14:00
12 September 2004	Race	14:00

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

Championship background

Michael Schumacher arrived at round 15 leading the 2004 F1 World Championship on 128 points, with Rubens Barrichello on 88. Ferrari headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 216 points.

Race entries

The race line-ups remained unchanged, with Antonio Pizzonia continuing at Williams and Ricardo Zonta at Toyota. Ferrari arrived with both championships already secured, while BAR and Renault were still fighting for second in the constructors’ standings. This would prove to be Giorgio Pantano’s final Formula 1 start.

Free Practice

Michael Schumacher headed Rubens Barrichello in the opening session, drawing on Ferrari’s recent Monza testing. The team brought a further engine development for the high-speed circuit and concentrated on race preparation as well as outright pace. Davidson completed substantially more laps in BAR’s third car, gathering tyre information while the race drivers managed their weekend mileage.

Kimi Räikkönen narrowly beat Rubens Barrichello in the afternoon, although Michael Schumacher’s morning lap remained the day’s fastest. Antonio Pizzonia crashed at Parabolica and Nick Heidfeld stopped after only two laps with an engine failure. Those setbacks contrasted with Ferrari’s straightforward tyre comparisons, while Olivier Panis also struggled with a rear-end vibration in his Toyota.

Juan Pablo Montoya narrowly headed Fernando Alonso in the first Saturday session. Giorgio Pantano lost control under braking for the first chicane and struck Zsolt Baumgartner’s Minardi, leaving both teams with repairs. Zsolt Baumgartner would need the spare car for qualifying, while Giorgio Pantano’s disrupted morning added to Jordan’s already difficult weekend.

Rubens Barrichello moved ahead in final practice, with Juan Pablo Montoya close behind. Olivier Panis’s Saturday work was interrupted by gearbox trouble, and Toyota’s mechanics had to change the transmission before qualifying. The high-speed circuit demanded confidence under braking, so losing the final preparation was a significant setback for the Frenchman.

Free Practice 1 Classification

2004 Italian Grand Prix FP1, 10 September 2004

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:20.526	10
2	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+0.335s	4
3	35	Anthony Davidson	BAR	+0.376s	25
4	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	+1.111s	5
5	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	+1.252s	10
6	9	Jenson Button	BAR	+1.378s	5
7	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	+1.526s	11
8	37	Bjorn Wirdheim	Jaguar	+1.539s	24
9	4	Antonio Pizzonia	Williams	+1.633s	9
10	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	+1.706s	9
11	10	Takuma Sato	BAR	+1.719s	8
12	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	+1.722s	5
13	12	Felipe Massa	Sauber	+1.733s	13
14	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Sauber	+1.934s	11
15	17	Olivier Panis	Toyota	+1.961s	8
16	16	Ricardo Zonta	Toyota	+2.081s	10
17	38	Ryan Briscoe	Toyota	+2.289s	21
18	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	+2.545s	7
19	39	Timo Glock	Jordan	+2.807s	28
20	40	Bas Leinders	Minardi	+3.170s	16
21	15	Christian Klien	Jaguar	+3.197s	7
22	18	Nick Heidfeld	Jordan	+3.474s	11
23	19	Giorgio Pantano	Jordan	+3.886s	10
24	20	Gianmaria Bruni	Minardi	+5.536s	11
25	21	Zsolt Baumgartner	Minardi	+5.635s	13

Free Practice 2 Classification

2004 Italian Grand Prix FP2, 10 September 2004

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	1:20.846	13
2	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+0.053s	21
3	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	+0.234s	20
4	9	Jenson Button	BAR	+0.278s	16
5	4	Antonio Pizzonia	Williams	+0.418s	18
6	10	Takuma Sato	BAR	+0.467s	20
7	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	+0.573s	17
8	35	Anthony Davidson	BAR	+0.698s	37
9	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	+0.784s	18
10	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	+1.206s	12
11	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	+1.345s	19
12	38	Ryan Briscoe	Toyota	+1.351s	35
13	12	Felipe Massa	Sauber	+1.412s	18
14	16	Ricardo Zonta	Toyota	+1.452s	22
15	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Sauber	+1.456s	12
16	39	Timo Glock	Jordan	+1.486s	17
17	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	+1.546s	24
18	17	Olivier Panis	Toyota	+1.967s	15
19	37	Bjorn Wirdheim	Jaguar	+2.068s	26
20	15	Christian Klien	Jaguar	+2.353s	25
21	19	Giorgio Pantano	Jordan	+2.972s	17
22	40	Bas Leinders	Minardi	+3.199s	19
23	21	Zsolt Baumgartner	Minardi	+3.217s	17
24	20	Gianmaria Bruni	Minardi	+3.379s	23
25	18	Nick Heidfeld	Jordan	No time	2

Free Practice 3 Classification

2004 Italian Grand Prix FP3, 11 September 2004

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	1:21.700	6
2	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	+0.005s	9
3	4	Antonio Pizzonia	Williams	+0.023s	8
4	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+0.155s	9
5	10	Takuma Sato	BAR	+0.167s	7
6	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	+0.262s	7
7	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	+0.318s	5
8	9	Jenson Button	BAR	+0.362s	9
9	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	+0.397s	6
10	12	Felipe Massa	Sauber	+0.584s	6
11	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Sauber	+0.669s	5
12	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	+1.074s	9
13	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	+1.084s	7
14	16	Ricardo Zonta	Toyota	+1.167s	9
15	17	Olivier Panis	Toyota	+1.403s	9
16	15	Christian Klien	Jaguar	+1.632s	8
17	20	Gianmaria Bruni	Minardi	+2.711s	14
18	19	Giorgio Pantano	Jordan	+2.826s	11
19	18	Nick Heidfeld	Jordan	+2.969s	12
20	21	Zsolt Baumgartner	Minardi	+4.414s	10

Free Practice 4 Classification

2004 Italian Grand Prix FP4, 11 September 2004

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	1:20.555	11
2	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	+0.098s	11
3	9	Jenson Button	BAR	+0.179s	13
4	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	+0.218s	11
5	10	Takuma Sato	BAR	+0.250s	11
6	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	+0.301s	11
7	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	+0.343s	10
8	4	Antonio Pizzonia	Williams	+0.366s	10
9	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	+0.503s	11
10	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	+0.951s	8
11	12	Felipe Massa	Sauber	+1.304s	14
12	17	Olivier Panis	Toyota	+1.334s	18
13	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Sauber	+1.374s	9
14	16	Ricardo Zonta	Toyota	+1.559s	20
15	15	Christian Klien	Jaguar	+1.675s	18
16	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	+1.935s	15
17	18	Nick Heidfeld	Jordan	+2.591s	13
18	20	Gianmaria Bruni	Minardi	+3.239s	14
19	19	Giorgio Pantano	Jordan	No time	2
20	21	Zsolt Baumgartner	Minardi	No time	2

Qualifying

Juan Pablo Montoya set a record average speed in the first qualifying run, but Rubens Barrichello delivered the decisive lap to claim pole. Juan Pablo Montoya split the Ferraris, with Michael Schumacher third and Fernando Alonso fourth. Takuma Sato and Jenson Button occupied the third row for BAR.

Nick Heidfeld’s engine penalty sent him to the rear after further gearbox trouble forced him into the spare Jordan. Zsolt Baumgartner also received a time penalty for cutting the first chicane. Ricardo Zonta qualified eleventh, his best starting position since taking over Toyota’s race seat.

Qualifying Classification

2004 Italian Grand Prix Qualifying, 11 September 2004

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	First qualifying	Second qualifying	Laps
1	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	1:20.552	1:20.089	6
2	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	1:19.525	1:20.620	6
3	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:20.528	1:20.637	6
4	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	1:20.341	1:20.645	6
5	10	Takuma Sato	BAR	1:19.733	1:20.715	6
6	9	Jenson Button	BAR	1:19.856	1:20.786	6
7	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	1:20.501	1:20.877	6
8	4	Antônio Pizzonia	Williams	1:19.671	1:20.888	6
9	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	1:21.011	1:21.027	6
10	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	1:20.414	1:21.049	6
11	16	Ricardo Zonta	Toyota	1:21.829	1:21.520	6
12	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	1:21.783	1:21.602	6
13	17	Olivier Panis	Toyota	1:22.169	1:21.841	6
14	15	Christian Klien	Jaguar	1:22.114	1:21.989	6
15	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Sauber	1:20.357	1:22.239	6
16	12	Felipe Massa	Sauber	1:20.571	1:22.287	6
17	18	Nick Heidfeld	Jordan	No time	1:22.301	5
18	19	Giorgio Pantano	Jordan	1:23.264	1:23.239	6
19	21	Zsolt Baumgartner	Minardi	1:25.082	1:24.808	6
20	20	Gianmaria Bruni	Minardi	1:23.963	1:24.940	6

Nick Heidfeld did not get time in Q1 due to gearbox problems.

Nick Heidfeld received a 10-place grid penalty for an engine change.

Zsolt Baumgartner initially set a lap time in Q2 (1:24.808), but received a one-second time penalty for cutting the first chicane on his flying lap.

What happened in the 2004 Italian Grand Prix?

A damp track made the starting tyre choice difficult. Rubens Barrichello chose intermediates and built a large early lead, but the surface dried quickly and he had to stop for dry tyres. Michael Schumacher spun after contact with Jenson Button at the second chicane, while Olivier Panis collided with Antonio Pizzonia. Both Ferraris therefore had ground to recover.

Rubens Barrichello attacked on a three-stop strategy, while Michael Schumacher worked through the field. Fernando Alonso briefly led but later spun out, and Jenson Button’s hopes faded as the Ferraris’ dry-weather pace became clear. Rubens Barrichello rejoined ahead after his final stop, while Schumacher passed Jenson Button to complete the turnaround.

Rubens Barrichello won from Michael Schumacher, with Jenson Button and Takuma Sato third and fourth. Juan Pablo Montoya, David Coulthard, Antonio Pizzonia and Giancarlo Fisichella completed the points. BAR’s double finish moved it ahead of Renault in the constructors’ championship. Gianmaria Bruni retired after a refuelling fire in the Minardi pit, while Kimi Räikkönen’s mechanical retirement denied McLaren a stronger result.

After the race, Michael Schumacher headed the drivers’ standings with 136 points, followed by Rubens Barrichello on 98. Ferrari led the constructors’ table on 234, with BAR on 94.

2004 Italian Grand Prix race results

The 2004 Italian Grand Prix was held on 12 September 2004, with a scheduled start of 14:00 local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	53	1:15:18.448	10
2	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	53	+1.347	8
3	9	Jenson Button	BAR	53	+10.197	6
4	10	Takuma Sato	BAR	53	+15.370	5
5	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	53	+32.352	4
6	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	53	+33.439	3
7	4	Antônio Pizzonia	Williams	53	+33.752	2
8	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Sauber	53	+35.431	1
9	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	53	+56.761	0
10	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	53	+1:06.316	0
11	16	Ricardo Zonta	Toyota	53	+1:22.531	0
12	12	Felipe Massa	Sauber	52	+1 Lap	0
13	15	Christian Klien	Jaguar	52	+1 Lap	0
14	18	Nick Heidfeld	Jordan	52	+1 Lap	0
15	21	Zsolt Baumgartner	Minardi	50	+3 Laps	0
Ret	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	40	Spun off	0
Ret	19	Giorgio Pantano	Jordan	33	Accident	0
Ret	20	Gianmaria Bruni	Minardi	29	Fire	0
Ret	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	13	Overheating	0
Ret	17	Olivier Panis	Toyota	0	Spun off	0

David Coulthard and Nick Heidfeld started the race from the pitlane.

2004 Italian Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time	Avg. Speed
1	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	41	1:21.046	257.320
2	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	35	1:21.361	256.324
3	4	Antonio Pizzonia	Williams	32	1:22.246	253.566
4	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Sauber	51	1:22.615	252.433
5	10	Takuma Sato	BAR	32	1:22.660	252.296
6	9	Jenson Button	BAR	13	1:22.671	252.262
7	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	52	1:22.855	251.702
8	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	31	1:22.881	251.623
9	5	David Coulthard	McLaren	24	1:22.889	251.599
10	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams	32	1:22.929	251.477
11	12	Felipe Massa	Sauber	50	1:22.941	251.441
12	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar	53	1:23.090	250.990
13	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	11	1:23.365	250.162
14	16	Ricardo Zonta	Toyota	52	1:23.410	250.027
15	15	Christian Klien	Jaguar	29	1:23.432	249.961
16	19	Giorgio Pantano	Jordan	13	1:24.061	248.091
17	18	Nick Heidfeld	Jordan	23	1:24.166	247.781
18	21	Zsolt Baumgartner	Minardi	31	1:26.356	241.497
19	20	Gianmaria Bruni	Minardi	24	1:26.371	241.456

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 Italian Grand Prix.

2004 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Michael Schumacher	German	Ferrari	136
2	Rubens Barrichello	Brazilian	Ferrari	98
3	Jenson Button	British	BAR	71
4	Jarno Trulli	Italian	Renault	46
5	Fernando Alonso	Spanish	Renault	45
6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Colombian	Williams	42
7	Kimi Räikkönen	Finnish	McLaren	28
8	David Coulthard	British	McLaren	24
9	Takuma Sato	Japanese	BAR	23
10	Giancarlo Fisichella	Italian	Sauber	19
11	Ralf Schumacher	German	Williams	12
12	Felipe Massa	Brazilian	Sauber	10
13	Mark Webber	Australian	Jaguar	7
14	Olivier Panis	French	Toyota	6
15	Antônio Pizzonia	Brazilian	Williams	6
16	Christian Klien	Austrian	Jaguar	3
17	Cristiano da Matta	Brazilian	Toyota	3
18	Nick Heidfeld	German	Jordan	3
19	Timo Glock	German	Jordan	2
20	Zsolt Baumgartner	Hungarian	Minardi	1
21	Ricardo Zonta	Brazilian	Toyota	0
22	Marc Gené	Spanish	Williams	0
23	Giorgio Pantano	Italian	Jordan	0
24	Gianmaria Bruni	Italian	Minardi	0

2004 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Ferrari	234
2	BAR	94
3	Renault	91
4	Williams	60
5	McLaren	52
6	Sauber	29
7	Jaguar	10
8	Toyota	9
9	Jordan	5
10	Minardi	1

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