2004 Monaco Grand Prix: Full Weekend Report & Highlights

The 2004 Monaco Grand Prix (officially the Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco 2004) was held on 23 May 2004 at the iconic Circuit de Monaco in Monaco. It was the sixth round of the 2004 FIA Formula One World Championship, contested over 77 laps of the sport’s most demanding street circuit.

2004 F1 World Championship
Date	23 May 2004
Official name	Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco 2004
Location	Circuit de Monaco, La Condamine and Monte Carlo, Monaco
Course	Street circuit
Course length	3.34 km (2.07 miles)
Distance	77 laps, 257.18 km (159.08 miles)
Scheduled distance	78 laps, 260.52 km (161.85 miles)
Weather	Dry and sunny

In a race defined by strategy, safety cars, and high drama, Jarno Trulli claimed a memorable victory for Renault—the only win of his Formula One career. Jenson Button finished a close second for BAR, just one second behind, while Rubens Barrichello secured third for Ferrari.

2004 Monaco Grand Prix Qualifying

Practice suggested Ferrari would once again be the team to beat. Championship leader Michael Schumacher topped all four practice sessions, even setting a new lap record late in the weekend.

But Monaco is never predictable.

Tyre performance proved decisive. Michelin-shod teams—Renault, BAR, and Williams—held a crucial edge over Ferrari’s Bridgestones, particularly in qualifying conditions. When it mattered most, Trulli delivered a stunning lap of 1:13.985, the fastest ever seen around Monaco at the time, securing his first career pole position.

Button joined him on the front row, while Trulli’s teammate Fernando Alonso lined up third. Schumacher, despite his earlier pace, could manage only fifth on the grid.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	1:13.985	6
2	4	Ralf Schumacher	Williams BMW	1:14.345	6
3	9	Jenson Button	BAR Honda	1:14.396	6
4	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	1:14.408	6
5	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:14.516	6
6	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren Mercedes	1:14.592	6
7	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	1:14.716	6
8	10	Takuma Sato	BAR Honda	1:14.827	6
9	5	David Coulthard	McLaren Mercedes	1:14.951	6
10	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams BMW	1:15.039	6
11	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Sauber Petronas	1:15.352	6
12	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar Cosworth	1:15.725	6
13	17	Olivier Panis	Toyota	1:15.859	6
14	15	Christian Klien	Jaguar Cosworth	1:15.919	6
15	16	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	1:16.169	6
16	12	Felipe Massa	Sauber Petronas	1:16.248	6
17	18	Nick Heidfeld	Jordan Ford	1:16.488	6
18	19	Giorgio Pantano	Jordan Ford	1:17.443	6
19	21	Zsolt Baumgartner	Minardi Cosworth	1:20.060	6
20	20	Gianmaria Bruni	Minardi Cosworth	1:20.115	6

2004 Monaco Grand Prix Race Results

From the start, Trulli made no mistake, beating Button into the first corner and immediately taking control. Behind them, BAR’s Takuma Sato made a lightning start, jumping to fourth—only for his race to unravel almost instantly.

On lap 3, Sato’s engine failed spectacularly, filling the narrow streets with smoke. In the confusion, Giancarlo Fisichella collided with David Coulthard, flipping his car and bringing out the safety car.

When racing resumed on lap 7, the Renault duo of Trulli and Alonso controlled the pace at the front, closely followed by Button. Strategy began to unfold through the pit stops, briefly handing the lead to Schumacher.

Then came the race’s defining moment.

Attempting to lap Ralf Schumacher in the tunnel, Alonso tried an ambitious move around the outside—an unforgiving place to overtake. The attempt ended in a heavy crash, triggering another safety car period and eliminating one of Renault’s contenders.

During the caution, drama struck again. Schumacher, running behind the safety car, appeared to slow abruptly in the tunnel—likely to warm his brakes. Juan Pablo Montoya, unsighted and with nowhere to go, clipped the Ferrari. Schumacher spun into the barriers and was out of the race, ending his run of five consecutive wins at the start of the season. The stewards later ruled the incident a racing accident.

Race Finish

With Schumacher out and Alonso gone, the race settled into a tense battle at the front.

Trulli led, but Button was never far behind. The two circulated nose-to-tail for much of the closing stages, with Barrichello running third but unable to match their pace after his final pit stop.

Despite relentless pressure, Trulli delivered a flawless defensive drive on a circuit where overtaking is notoriously difficult. Button searched for an opening but found none.

After 77 laps, Trulli crossed the line to take a famous victory—holding off Button by just over a second.

Post-Race

The podium featured Trulli, Button, and Barrichello, with Montoya finishing fourth after his earlier involvement in Schumacher’s exit.

For Trulli, the win was career-defining. It was not only his first Formula One victory, but ultimately his only one, making it one of the most unique triumphs in the sport’s history.

Schumacher, despite retiring, remained the championship leader ahead of Barrichello and Button. Ferrari also retained a commanding advantage in the Constructors’ standings, sitting well clear of Renault and BAR.

Trulli’s victory also reshaped the midfield battle, placing him ahead of teammate Alonso in the standings and underlining Renault’s growing competitiveness.

A Monaco Curiosity

Away from the front, the weekend produced one of Monaco’s more unusual stories. Jaguar ran a special livery promoting the film Ocean’s Twelve, including a $300,000 diamond mounted on the nose of the car. When Christian Klien crashed early in the race, the diamond mysteriously disappeared—never to be recovered.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	7	Jarno Trulli	Renault	77	01:45:47	10
2	9	Jenson Button	BAR Honda	77	+0.497s	8
3	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	77	+75.766s	6
4	3	Juan Pablo Montoya	Williams BMW	76	+1 lap	5
5	12	Felipe Massa	Sauber Petronas	76	+1 lap	4
6	16	Cristiano da Matta	Toyota	76	+1 lap	3
7	18	Nick Heidfeld	Jordan Ford	75	+2 laps	2
8	17	Olivier Panis	Toyota	74	+3 laps	1
9	21	Zsolt Baumgartner	Minardi Cosworth	71	+6 laps	0
10	4	Ralf Schumacher	Williams BMW	69	DNF	0
NC	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	45	DNF	0
NC	8	Fernando Alonso	Renault	41	DNF	0
NC	6	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren Mercedes	27	DNF	0
NC	20	Gianmaria Bruni	Minardi Cosworth	15	DNF	0
NC	19	Giorgio Pantano	Jordan Ford	12	DNF	0
NC	14	Mark Webber	Jaguar Cosworth	11	DNF	0
NC	10	Takuma Sato	BAR Honda	2	DNF	0
NC	5	David Coulthard	McLaren Mercedes	2	DNF	0
NC	11	Giancarlo Fisichella	Sauber Petronas	2	DNF	0
NC	15	Christian Klien	Jaguar Cosworth	0	DNF	0

2004 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Drivers

Pos	Driver	Points
1	Michael Schumacher	50
2	Rubens Barrichello	38
3	Jenson Button	32
4	Jarno Trulli	31
5	Juan Pablo Montoya	23

Teams

Pos	Constructor	Points
1	Ferrari	88
2	Renault	52
3	BAR	40
4	Williams	35
5	Sauber	7