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Hi, Grandprix here and this is your definitive guide to the new F1 season. We are going so in depth, you’ll question your very beliefs! Or you will just thank me, so I say now, beware it’s long! Either way, here we go…
2004 is upon us and the new Formula 1 season draws ever closer. Ferrari and Michael Schumacher took the honours last year but were run close by Williams, McLaren, Raikkonen and Montoya. With a host of changes, it promises to be another close season but will it live up to what was a great year last year?
First up, here is a list of races for the coming season. You’ll notice that there a few new ones from last year and there are 2 more races, making 18 in total.
March 7, Grand Prix of Australia (Melbourne)
March 21, Grand Prix of Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur)
April 4, Grand Prix of Bahrain (Bahrain)
April 25, Grand Prix of San Marino (Imola)
May 9, Grand Prix of Spain (Barcelona)
May 23, Grand Prix of Monaco (Monaco)
May 30, Grand Prix of Europe (Nurburgring)
June 13, Grand Prix of Canada (Montreal)
June 20, Grand Prix of USA (Indianapolis)
July 4, Grand Prix of France (Magny-Cours)
July 11, Grand Prix of Great Britain (Silverstone)
July 25, Grand Prix of Germany (Hockenheim)
August 15, Grand Prix of Hungary (Budapest)
August 29, Grand Prix of Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps)
September 12, Grand Prix of Italy (Monza)
September 26, Grand Prix of China (Shanghai)
October 10, Grand Prix of Japan (Suzuka)
October 24, Grand Prix of Brazil (Sao Paulo)
The changes in the calendar begin early on as Brazil shifts from being the third race of the season to being the last. The idea behind the change is that they want the season finale to at prime time instead of early morning in Japan. The third race of the year is now Bahrain, a totally new racetrack, which is still being built as we speak. The track is on schedule and the main tarmac section of racetrack is complete, as Button, Sauber and Ralf Schumacher have given the thumbs up.
There is no place for Austria this year and it is rumoured that the San Marino track will not see a race next season. Canada and France have had funding problems but they are seemingly resolved. The French Grand Prix is also the same day as the Euro 2004 final, at last check.
Britain is continually threatened with the drop due to its ‘outdated’ facilities. Sure, it’s not as up to date as some of the new racetracks but I seriously don’t see what the problem is. I’ve been around the pit lane and the track and I think it’s very good. It also offered up what was, in my opinion, the best race of 2003.
Anyway, Belgium returns with it’s traditional August date and I for one couldn’t be happier. It is without doubt my favourite racetrack of all time and some of the best races I’ve seen have come from Belgium.
The final change to the calendar sees the US Grand Prix move to June and another new racetrack added to the calendar. This new track is in China and I haven’t heard that much about it. It shall be an interesting race and it slots into a late September place.
There is a breakdown of the races for this season and it’s good to see that the FIA have given some new races a chance, forcing the older tracks to raise their game. Let’s move now into the drivers and teams for the new season and see who will make the real challenge for the title.
FERRARI
It’s been an amazing turnaround from the weak performances of the overweight, fuel guzzling cars around 1993. Ferrari with Michael Schumacher has become the benchmark team and every team aspires to better what they have at the moment. They are the most successful team in history and they will once again be the team to beat this season.
The release of the new car was hotly anticipated after rumours were made that Ferrari was going to launch a radical front wing design. This didn’t materialise but they might be hiding it away for a future race. It’s another fast car as it customarily beat the lap record around Ferrari’s test track, Fiorano. It was recently beaten by a tenth of a second by Williams and then smashed the Imola lap record so testing is usually a false indication.
MICHAEL SCHUMACHER
Now the most successful Formula 1 driver in history with 6 World titles, he aims to make it 7 this year and why not? He’s got the car, he’s got the ability and he still has the will to win. Rumours continue to fly around that he will retire, probably because everyone else wants a chance. Raikkonen and Montoya, only winning the Championship by 1 point after a disastrous Japanese Grand Prix, where he scrapped and made mistakes to get the vital 8th place that was required, ran him very close last year. Raikkonen didn’t get the win he needed but Schumacher better have his ‘A’ game on, as this season promises to be the closest in years.
BARRICHELLO
Just like Irvine before him, anyone playing second fiddle to Schumacher doesn’t get much of a chance to shine but will this year be different? Now that Schumacher has taken Ferrari to the top and has achieved almost every meaningful record that F1 has to offer (except maybe pole positions), will Barrichello be given a chance to push for the title? Barrichello showed his class at the British Grand Prix with an amazing display of driving and overtaking and if he is given the chance and keeps his confidence high, a potential World Champion he definitely is.
WILLIAMS
You’ve got to hand it to Williams. When Renault stopped making engines for them, they suffered with a lack of power, a poor car, seasons without a victory and the ignominy of being lapped by Ferraris. What an amazing turnaround! Ralf Schumacher and Montoya have got Williams back on the map and are now real contenders again.
Thanks to the most powerful engine in F1 courtesy of BMW and a quick progression of the car, they have shown why you can’t keep a good team down. They have pulled out all the stops to close what was a huge gap and now they plan to take that final step to glory.
The car’s release generated real excitement after it revealed a radical front wing. The central raised wing part stops short and the sides continue onwards and bend onto the main wing section. The car’s performance in testing has been encouraging and this should be the year that they run Ferrari close at every race.
MONTOYA
The temperamental Columbian has made a few waves in the F1 world of late. Montoya has officially signed for McLaren in 2005 and reports have come out of Williams that Montoya claimed Ralf was getting preferential treatment during the French Grand Prix in 2003. He then went on a rant accusing everyone in Williams of being incompetent and used abusive language to get his point across. He then cruised around the track not pressuring Ralf, who eventually spun and Montoya could have won the race.
Williams are willing to put their differences aside in a bid to win the championship and if Williams history is anything to go by, Montoya will win the title and take his No.1 spot to McLaren because Williams have a habit of losing World Champions. He is definitely a contender this season.
RALF SCHUMACHER
Recent reports suggest that contract talks between him and Williams have broken down, which could see a total clearout at Williams. He has also been accused of not racing his brother Michael very hard when they are together. He has, of course, rigorously denied both reports but doubts remain over his credentials. There is no doubt the pace is there but will he be consistent enough to take the title?
Williams main problem is that the tyres have let them down too many times and I’ll be discussing the tyre war later. Ralf Schumacher has been setting some great times in testing and both Williams drivers have backed the car. I don’t think Ralf can compete with a rampant Montoya but who knows what the season will bring.
MCLAREN
McLaren can never be discounted. They may be underpowered compared to Ferrari and Williams but McLaren are well known for having a well-balanced, driveable car. The proof of that came last year when they used a revised car for the whole season and it proved to be competitive for the whole season, even though development was limited and a new car was made and not used, due to mechanical concerns.
McLaren have had a quiet testing period but have shown recently that the times are there. With Montoya signed for 2005, the future looks bright. Adrian Newey designs cars that work and they can surprise anyone.
RAIKKONEN
A few people were surprised that Raikkonen became the main challenger to Michael Schumacher last season. Not me, however, as I had Raikkonen in my Fantasy F1 season. Raikkonen is without doubt a future World Champion because he showed his speed and maturity last season.
A new season offers new rewards and McLaren and Raikkonen will be out to show that last season was not a fluke. Already being a race winner takes a lot of the pressure off but with only space left in McLaren, Raikkonen and Coulthard will be going head to head for that last spot for next season. Raikkonen is also being lined up as a Ferrari driver in the future.
COULTHARD
I have been a real critic of Coulthard and his performances. There is no doubt that he is quick but it isn’t enough. Coulthard has not adapted well to one lap qualifying and that means McLaren have to adjust his strategy because of his lousy grid positions. His race performances have been his only redeeming feature of late but with better grid positions, race wins should be the target. 2nd place every so often is not enough for a driver in a top team who has been tipped as a World Champion.
It’s a make or break year as one driver must go from McLaren at the end of the season. I fear another weak season from Coulthard and the realisation of having to find a new team is the prospect that awaits Coulthard. I’ve been waiting for him to prove me wrong but nothing has persuaded me otherwise. I don’t expect a challenge from Coulthard this season. He needs to stop complaining about not being able to find a good set up and get on and drive the wheels off that McLaren.
RENAULT
The last 2 seasons I have said that this is the team to watch and I’m saying it again this year. A fantastic year for the Renault team last year should propel them to adding more spice into the mix this season. Renault had the best front end of any car on the grid and it showed by them winning in Hungary, a notoriously twisty circuit.
The radical engine that they used last season was underpowered and they ditched their plans for a more conventional engine because of new rules coming into effect this season and I’ll be discussing them later. I expect them to run the top 3 close again this season making the big 3 becomes the big 4. They have produced some impressive testing times, so here’s hoping for a close season at the top for them.
ALONSO
What a return this man has made to Formula 1! He made his debut at Minardi in 2001 where he showed his incredible potential. Renault took the opportunity and made him a test driver in 2002. 2003 came along and he exploded onto the scene with fantastic displays, most notably running Schumacher close lap for lap in Spain and his win in Hungary.
Another great season is store for the Spaniard but he now has a lot to live up to, especially in his home country Spain, where viewing figures for F1 have exploded as they take Alonso to their hearts. I reckon a win or 2 are in the offing again this season.
TRULLI
I like Trulli as he’s shown a number of times that he can compete with the best of them. The only gripe is that he isn’t consistent enough. His qualifying performances can rarely be faulted but usually during his races, he drifts around without putting in a burst of cracking pace that the top drivers seem to have the ability to pull out.
The groundwork of a top driver is there and now he has to prove his spot at Renault because Renault will no doubt be challenging for that World Championship in the next few years and they will want 2 drivers that can challenge, not just 1. I want Trulli to win a race this year but I don’t expect he will.
B.A.R
Gone is the cockiness of when they first joined. That first season in F1 was a real wake up call that you can’t expect to win races in your first season. A few struggling seasons resulted but now they look like a team on the up. The recent testing times have shown them to have real pace and they claim that the times are no fluke.
Could this the year that B.A.R win a race? Only time will tell but their plan of winning the World Championship and building it around Button looks like it might be working. B.A.R have to get a podium this season to show that some progress has been made.
BUTTON
After a couple of seasons of struggle, Button might just have the car that can get him his first podium finish. After the delight and promise that was shown at Williams, it’s really gone flat and getting dropped by Renault when they were just looking promising almost definitely hurt. B.A.R have picked him up and at the end of last season at the US Grand Prix, Button led the race on his merits.
He has had his doubters and this is the season to show them up. A podium finish is the aim and if rumours are to be believed, a good season could result in an interesting dilemma with a choice of drives between Williams and B.A.R.
SATO
They dropped Villeneuve for this guy, so was the choice a good one? Well, Villeneuve had a terrible season and has seemingly lost the ambition. Sato is young and is widely tipped as the next Japanese sensation. He showed his talent at Jordan in the final round of the 2002 season when he gave Jordan valuable points in the race to be the 4th best team in F1.
A lot of people say that this driver signing is just to keep Honda happy but I think he deserves another go. He’s spent a year on the sidelines, learning the ropes after being thrust into F1 by Jordan. It’s an important year for both B.A.R drivers, as expectation is high. Regular points finishes will be the order of the day for Sato and he definitely needs to show that he can keep up with Button.
SAUBER
You can safely say that this team is almost Ferrari’s playground with so many parts of the car being handed down, for a price of course, and it kind of takes the gloss over their achievements of recent seasons. With a rebadged Ferrari engine and Ferrari gearbox, their main problem was a poor chassis.
This season could be different. Sauber have built a new wind tunnel to iron out all their chassis flaws and this could really be an interesting season in the race for the 5th spot in the Constructors race. They are also starting a fresh on the driver front as they’ve resigned Massa and have snapped up Fisichella. This package is a real dark horse along with a few others and how it works out in the congested midfield is anyone’s guess.
FISICHELLA
This is a very smart move by Fisichella. His dream is to drive a Ferrari in Italy and this is as close as you can get to a Ferrari at the moment. You can sense the frustration from Fisichella when he was at Jordan. He has the potential to win races, as Brazil last year showed, although that was a very fortunate victory. Jordan, with all their money troubles, was just not competitive enough for Fisichella.
Well, Fisichella is now in a new team with a new environment. All he can do is race the car to the best of his ability and hope that dream Ferrari move comes off. I very much doubt he can recreate that win in Brazil but regular points are all he can hope for.
MASSA
Massa has had a strange career so far. He signed for Sauber and it was considered a risk but he had potential. A bad season followed so he spent the next season as a test driver and now he’s back at Sauber again. This means that the new season with Sauber is very crucial; as you don’t get many chances to prove yourself in Formula 1, especially at a smaller team hoping for a bigger drive.
I think Massa will be consistently outdone by teammate Fisichella but he might give him a run for his money every so often. It depends on how much he has learned in the season he had test-driving. He had a major shunt in testing but is fine. Massa’s job is to score the points when Fisichella can’t. It could be a tough season for Massa.
TOYOTA
Toyota is a lot like Benetton when Schumacher left, great at some tracks but absolutely hopeless at others. They have got to get more consistent in order to challenge for regular points and podium places. The car is usually pretty good and they have had an average testing period.
Toyota has the backing, the money, the engine and a nice mixture of drivers, so there is no reason why they can’t achieve great things. I don’t think they will and a lot of questions will be asked. I predict a tough season for Toyota.
PANIS
When Panis won in Monaco, it could have gone on to greater things. That crash in Canada halted his run and he has never recovered. He is now the oldest driver in Formula 1 and I think this might be his last season. Panis is experienced but lacks the real pace and consistency required.
Panis will be required to improve the car during the season and next season a bigger driver will take his place in what Toyota hope will be a good team. If Panis loses to Da Matta too many times in the season, I don’t expect him to survive for another one.
DA MATTA
The risk of picking a rookie over experience was a wise choice when they selected Da Matta. There is always a slight question mark as to whether the drivers that do well in America can do well in Formula 1. The failures of Michael Andretti and Alex Zanardi prove that point. Da Matta, however, had a good season in 2003 and now he knows the tracks, he will be looking for more consistency.
I think Da Matta will outdo Panis and keep his drive at Toyota. A better car and Da Matta could be a race winner. He’s certainly showed his race winning potential in America and has settled into Formula 1.
JAGUAR
What a strange team! Jaguar bought out the Stewart team and put their funding and engines behind the framework that was there, and they went backwards. When Irvine was there, the car handled really badly. They eventually fixed the problem and now Jaguar is looking good.
I think it’s fair to say that Jaguar’s pace in qualifying was false, as they used to run light with fuel and drift back during the race to pick up the odd point. The major problem is Jaguar is obvious; they are just not fast enough, either in qualifying with a bit more fuel or in the race. They need to find the extra pace to come out on top of the midfield congestion. A good set of testing times recently should have boosted the confidence for the new season.
WEBBER
What can you say about Webber? He’s driven a season for Minardi and a season for Jaguar and he has taken his teammates to the cleaners. Webber is a star and needs a good car to shine because if there was ever Championship potential, this guy has got it in buckets. He’s fearless, relaxed and super quick.
He was without doubt the revelation of one lap qualifying as he took to it like a duck to water. I’m a big fan of Webber and he has wrung every little bit of speed out of that Jaguar last season. If he gets the car, who knows what he can achieve?
KLIEN
For those of you that don’t know him, he is a former German Formula Renault Champion and he was runner up in the European Formula 3 Championship last year. Unfortunately for him, he has a lot to live up to. Jaguar have stated that the second driver must be a regular points finisher and signed Klien.
If he is to be a regular points scorer, he has got to be near Webber and that is tough to do. Webber has already seen off Pizzonia and Wilson and Klien could be the next casualty. It is going to be a steep learning curve, a tough season and quite possibly a futile effort.
JORDAN
You can’t help but feel sorry for Eddie Jordan and the Jordan team. I remember the scenes when Damon Hill and Ralf Schumacher gave Jordan their first one-two finish and their first win at a rain soaked Belgium. They then had a season where Frentzen was still in the title picture with only a couple of rounds left but it’s gone down hill from there.
A real heartbreaking season last time out and the well-documented money troubles have hindered what was a delightful couple of seasons. They’ve lost key members of the design team like Gary Anderson a few years back and the car has suffered. The drivers that have been brought in have needed to have a lot of sponsors backing them and a lot of money to invest into the team. It’s a sad state of affairs and I can’t see much changing from last year. Testing in the run up to the new season has not done anything to inspire anyone.
HEIDFELD
Heidfeld was a consistent performer at Sauber and he felt he should have had the McLaren drive instead of Raikkonen. Heidfeld then started slipping behind his more experienced teammate Frentzen last season and the writing was on the wall. Heidfeld did not show that he was capable of elevating a team to the next level.
Now Heidfeld is in Jordan and he has a real struggle on his hands. He has to show what he is capable of in a team that is going through a real problem at the moment. Heidfeld is going to have to work extremely hard to impress the other teams. I can’t see him scoring that many points this season as he deals with life at the back of the grid.
PANTANO
Well, money talks and people would assume that Pantano is in Formula 1 because of the money he brings to Jordan. He is, however, very talented. He has driven in Formula 3000 where he was a runner-up in the Championship in 2002 and came 3rd in the Championship in 2003. He has had tests with 3 major teams in the past and they were all impressed.
Eddie Jordan has a habit of picking stars so can Pantano be another Jordan gem? Well, it’s the top level now for Pantano and the new boys don’t get many chances. It’s a tough season ahead for Pantano and all he can do is run Heidfeld very close to show how good he is.
MINARDI
Ah yes, Minardi. They are like that person or team that has zero chance of winning anything but everyone loves them. They scrape and claw and scrap for what little morsels the teams ahead of them drop for them. Minardi are actually very good at getting hold of some real talent, because if you remember, Alonso and Webber have both driven for Minardi.
Well, they spent all the season at the back and I have seen no reason to suggest anything will change. They are at the back all the time and that’s why we love them. The delight on the team’s faces when they pick up even one point is a reminder to all the big teams and drivers how privileged they are. They haven’t done that great in testing, which isn’t surprising.
BAUMGARTNER
The career of Baumgartner hasn’t been filled with success. Actually, it hasn’t been filled with much of anything. The only major achievement on his CV is the 2 races he had for Jordan. The Hungarian replaced Firman when he was injured. He drove in the Hungarian Grand Prix, which was a delight for the Hungarian fans and the Italian Grand Prix.
A retirement in Hungary and 11th in Italy was enough to convince Paul Stoddart that he should give him a go. Well, that and about 5 million pounds from the Hungarian government and other backers, which eventually involved Hungarian fans making up the difference when a backer pulled out. It is very difficult to impress at the bottom but it can be done.
BRUNI
I’m guessing that not many people have heard of this guy. Well, he’s actually done pretty well for himself. He is a former Italian Formula Renault Champion and a former European Former Renault Champion. He was also Minardi’s test driver while he also competed in the European Formula 3000 series, in which he finished 3rd.
Fisichella rates this driver very highly and is making his debut this season. I suppose that puts a lot of pressure on him to live up to that. It will be interesting to see how he does against Baumgartner because the one that comes out on top might go on to better things.
Well, there you have it. Every driver and team dissected. It promises to be one of the closest seasons in history and the teams with the best driver/team package are the ones that will come out on top. However, the teams, or should I say the engine manufacturers, have a different problem to contend with.
For this season, every driver’s engine must last the whole weekend without a change in a bid to cut costs. Any engine change results in a 10 place drop down the grid at the next Grand Prix. That was the latest development. Also, new punishment rules have been implemented but have not been officially announced as yet. An article on them exists on an F1 website somewhere.
The points system is staying the same as last year with the points being given to the top 8 finishers (10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1). Major event changes include the scrapping of the Friday private testing session and Friday qualifying. Instead, Fridays consist of two one-hour practise sessions and that is where the third driver can play his part. Third drivers have to have not driven in more than 6 races in the past two seasons, meaning any third driver will be relatively inexperienced.
With Friday qualifying gone, Saturday is where the major stuff happens before Sunday’s race. After two 45-minute practise sessions, Friday’s qualifying and Saturday’s qualifying are now done back to back with a two-minute break in-between. It remains just one fast lap for everyone in each session. Refuelling and tyre changes are obviously allowed before their second run.
There is one final change that I’d like to mention. The pit lane speed limit has been increased to 100kph, which is just over 60mph.
The last port of call for this definitive guide is the tyre war. The tyre war rages on with Michelin having, by the end of the season, the better Dry tyre but Bridgestone having a super Intermediate tyre and a better Wet tyre than Michelin.
The tyres could be the deciding factor in who wins and who loses the Championship. All the major teams have been running tyre programmes in a bid to outdo each other before the start of the new season. B.A.R have reportedly ditched Bridgestone and have gone to Michelin so it will be interesting to see if any other teams do any late changes. Michelin have the majority of the grid at last count.
So there you have it. Everything you need to know about the F1 season for 2004 is right here. If you’ve managed to read the whole thing, well done. I hope that we all enjoy a good season and I hope you’ve enjoyed swatting up on your F1.
Until next time, you have found out why my name is Grandprix. I thank you.
2004 is upon us and the new Formula 1 season draws ever closer. Ferrari and Michael Schumacher took the honours last year but were run close by Williams, McLaren, Raikkonen and Montoya. With a host of changes, it promises to be another close season but will it live up to what was a great year last year?
First up, here is a list of races for the coming season. You’ll notice that there a few new ones from last year and there are 2 more races, making 18 in total.
March 7, Grand Prix of Australia (Melbourne)
March 21, Grand Prix of Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur)
April 4, Grand Prix of Bahrain (Bahrain)
April 25, Grand Prix of San Marino (Imola)
May 9, Grand Prix of Spain (Barcelona)
May 23, Grand Prix of Monaco (Monaco)
May 30, Grand Prix of Europe (Nurburgring)
June 13, Grand Prix of Canada (Montreal)
June 20, Grand Prix of USA (Indianapolis)
July 4, Grand Prix of France (Magny-Cours)
July 11, Grand Prix of Great Britain (Silverstone)
July 25, Grand Prix of Germany (Hockenheim)
August 15, Grand Prix of Hungary (Budapest)
August 29, Grand Prix of Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps)
September 12, Grand Prix of Italy (Monza)
September 26, Grand Prix of China (Shanghai)
October 10, Grand Prix of Japan (Suzuka)
October 24, Grand Prix of Brazil (Sao Paulo)
The changes in the calendar begin early on as Brazil shifts from being the third race of the season to being the last. The idea behind the change is that they want the season finale to at prime time instead of early morning in Japan. The third race of the year is now Bahrain, a totally new racetrack, which is still being built as we speak. The track is on schedule and the main tarmac section of racetrack is complete, as Button, Sauber and Ralf Schumacher have given the thumbs up.
There is no place for Austria this year and it is rumoured that the San Marino track will not see a race next season. Canada and France have had funding problems but they are seemingly resolved. The French Grand Prix is also the same day as the Euro 2004 final, at last check.
Britain is continually threatened with the drop due to its ‘outdated’ facilities. Sure, it’s not as up to date as some of the new racetracks but I seriously don’t see what the problem is. I’ve been around the pit lane and the track and I think it’s very good. It also offered up what was, in my opinion, the best race of 2003.
Anyway, Belgium returns with it’s traditional August date and I for one couldn’t be happier. It is without doubt my favourite racetrack of all time and some of the best races I’ve seen have come from Belgium.
The final change to the calendar sees the US Grand Prix move to June and another new racetrack added to the calendar. This new track is in China and I haven’t heard that much about it. It shall be an interesting race and it slots into a late September place.
There is a breakdown of the races for this season and it’s good to see that the FIA have given some new races a chance, forcing the older tracks to raise their game. Let’s move now into the drivers and teams for the new season and see who will make the real challenge for the title.
FERRARI
It’s been an amazing turnaround from the weak performances of the overweight, fuel guzzling cars around 1993. Ferrari with Michael Schumacher has become the benchmark team and every team aspires to better what they have at the moment. They are the most successful team in history and they will once again be the team to beat this season.
The release of the new car was hotly anticipated after rumours were made that Ferrari was going to launch a radical front wing design. This didn’t materialise but they might be hiding it away for a future race. It’s another fast car as it customarily beat the lap record around Ferrari’s test track, Fiorano. It was recently beaten by a tenth of a second by Williams and then smashed the Imola lap record so testing is usually a false indication.
MICHAEL SCHUMACHER
Now the most successful Formula 1 driver in history with 6 World titles, he aims to make it 7 this year and why not? He’s got the car, he’s got the ability and he still has the will to win. Rumours continue to fly around that he will retire, probably because everyone else wants a chance. Raikkonen and Montoya, only winning the Championship by 1 point after a disastrous Japanese Grand Prix, where he scrapped and made mistakes to get the vital 8th place that was required, ran him very close last year. Raikkonen didn’t get the win he needed but Schumacher better have his ‘A’ game on, as this season promises to be the closest in years.
BARRICHELLO
Just like Irvine before him, anyone playing second fiddle to Schumacher doesn’t get much of a chance to shine but will this year be different? Now that Schumacher has taken Ferrari to the top and has achieved almost every meaningful record that F1 has to offer (except maybe pole positions), will Barrichello be given a chance to push for the title? Barrichello showed his class at the British Grand Prix with an amazing display of driving and overtaking and if he is given the chance and keeps his confidence high, a potential World Champion he definitely is.
WILLIAMS
You’ve got to hand it to Williams. When Renault stopped making engines for them, they suffered with a lack of power, a poor car, seasons without a victory and the ignominy of being lapped by Ferraris. What an amazing turnaround! Ralf Schumacher and Montoya have got Williams back on the map and are now real contenders again.
Thanks to the most powerful engine in F1 courtesy of BMW and a quick progression of the car, they have shown why you can’t keep a good team down. They have pulled out all the stops to close what was a huge gap and now they plan to take that final step to glory.
The car’s release generated real excitement after it revealed a radical front wing. The central raised wing part stops short and the sides continue onwards and bend onto the main wing section. The car’s performance in testing has been encouraging and this should be the year that they run Ferrari close at every race.
MONTOYA
The temperamental Columbian has made a few waves in the F1 world of late. Montoya has officially signed for McLaren in 2005 and reports have come out of Williams that Montoya claimed Ralf was getting preferential treatment during the French Grand Prix in 2003. He then went on a rant accusing everyone in Williams of being incompetent and used abusive language to get his point across. He then cruised around the track not pressuring Ralf, who eventually spun and Montoya could have won the race.
Williams are willing to put their differences aside in a bid to win the championship and if Williams history is anything to go by, Montoya will win the title and take his No.1 spot to McLaren because Williams have a habit of losing World Champions. He is definitely a contender this season.
RALF SCHUMACHER
Recent reports suggest that contract talks between him and Williams have broken down, which could see a total clearout at Williams. He has also been accused of not racing his brother Michael very hard when they are together. He has, of course, rigorously denied both reports but doubts remain over his credentials. There is no doubt the pace is there but will he be consistent enough to take the title?
Williams main problem is that the tyres have let them down too many times and I’ll be discussing the tyre war later. Ralf Schumacher has been setting some great times in testing and both Williams drivers have backed the car. I don’t think Ralf can compete with a rampant Montoya but who knows what the season will bring.
MCLAREN
McLaren can never be discounted. They may be underpowered compared to Ferrari and Williams but McLaren are well known for having a well-balanced, driveable car. The proof of that came last year when they used a revised car for the whole season and it proved to be competitive for the whole season, even though development was limited and a new car was made and not used, due to mechanical concerns.
McLaren have had a quiet testing period but have shown recently that the times are there. With Montoya signed for 2005, the future looks bright. Adrian Newey designs cars that work and they can surprise anyone.
RAIKKONEN
A few people were surprised that Raikkonen became the main challenger to Michael Schumacher last season. Not me, however, as I had Raikkonen in my Fantasy F1 season. Raikkonen is without doubt a future World Champion because he showed his speed and maturity last season.
A new season offers new rewards and McLaren and Raikkonen will be out to show that last season was not a fluke. Already being a race winner takes a lot of the pressure off but with only space left in McLaren, Raikkonen and Coulthard will be going head to head for that last spot for next season. Raikkonen is also being lined up as a Ferrari driver in the future.
COULTHARD
I have been a real critic of Coulthard and his performances. There is no doubt that he is quick but it isn’t enough. Coulthard has not adapted well to one lap qualifying and that means McLaren have to adjust his strategy because of his lousy grid positions. His race performances have been his only redeeming feature of late but with better grid positions, race wins should be the target. 2nd place every so often is not enough for a driver in a top team who has been tipped as a World Champion.
It’s a make or break year as one driver must go from McLaren at the end of the season. I fear another weak season from Coulthard and the realisation of having to find a new team is the prospect that awaits Coulthard. I’ve been waiting for him to prove me wrong but nothing has persuaded me otherwise. I don’t expect a challenge from Coulthard this season. He needs to stop complaining about not being able to find a good set up and get on and drive the wheels off that McLaren.
RENAULT
The last 2 seasons I have said that this is the team to watch and I’m saying it again this year. A fantastic year for the Renault team last year should propel them to adding more spice into the mix this season. Renault had the best front end of any car on the grid and it showed by them winning in Hungary, a notoriously twisty circuit.
The radical engine that they used last season was underpowered and they ditched their plans for a more conventional engine because of new rules coming into effect this season and I’ll be discussing them later. I expect them to run the top 3 close again this season making the big 3 becomes the big 4. They have produced some impressive testing times, so here’s hoping for a close season at the top for them.
ALONSO
What a return this man has made to Formula 1! He made his debut at Minardi in 2001 where he showed his incredible potential. Renault took the opportunity and made him a test driver in 2002. 2003 came along and he exploded onto the scene with fantastic displays, most notably running Schumacher close lap for lap in Spain and his win in Hungary.
Another great season is store for the Spaniard but he now has a lot to live up to, especially in his home country Spain, where viewing figures for F1 have exploded as they take Alonso to their hearts. I reckon a win or 2 are in the offing again this season.
TRULLI
I like Trulli as he’s shown a number of times that he can compete with the best of them. The only gripe is that he isn’t consistent enough. His qualifying performances can rarely be faulted but usually during his races, he drifts around without putting in a burst of cracking pace that the top drivers seem to have the ability to pull out.
The groundwork of a top driver is there and now he has to prove his spot at Renault because Renault will no doubt be challenging for that World Championship in the next few years and they will want 2 drivers that can challenge, not just 1. I want Trulli to win a race this year but I don’t expect he will.
B.A.R
Gone is the cockiness of when they first joined. That first season in F1 was a real wake up call that you can’t expect to win races in your first season. A few struggling seasons resulted but now they look like a team on the up. The recent testing times have shown them to have real pace and they claim that the times are no fluke.
Could this the year that B.A.R win a race? Only time will tell but their plan of winning the World Championship and building it around Button looks like it might be working. B.A.R have to get a podium this season to show that some progress has been made.
BUTTON
After a couple of seasons of struggle, Button might just have the car that can get him his first podium finish. After the delight and promise that was shown at Williams, it’s really gone flat and getting dropped by Renault when they were just looking promising almost definitely hurt. B.A.R have picked him up and at the end of last season at the US Grand Prix, Button led the race on his merits.
He has had his doubters and this is the season to show them up. A podium finish is the aim and if rumours are to be believed, a good season could result in an interesting dilemma with a choice of drives between Williams and B.A.R.
SATO
They dropped Villeneuve for this guy, so was the choice a good one? Well, Villeneuve had a terrible season and has seemingly lost the ambition. Sato is young and is widely tipped as the next Japanese sensation. He showed his talent at Jordan in the final round of the 2002 season when he gave Jordan valuable points in the race to be the 4th best team in F1.
A lot of people say that this driver signing is just to keep Honda happy but I think he deserves another go. He’s spent a year on the sidelines, learning the ropes after being thrust into F1 by Jordan. It’s an important year for both B.A.R drivers, as expectation is high. Regular points finishes will be the order of the day for Sato and he definitely needs to show that he can keep up with Button.
SAUBER
You can safely say that this team is almost Ferrari’s playground with so many parts of the car being handed down, for a price of course, and it kind of takes the gloss over their achievements of recent seasons. With a rebadged Ferrari engine and Ferrari gearbox, their main problem was a poor chassis.
This season could be different. Sauber have built a new wind tunnel to iron out all their chassis flaws and this could really be an interesting season in the race for the 5th spot in the Constructors race. They are also starting a fresh on the driver front as they’ve resigned Massa and have snapped up Fisichella. This package is a real dark horse along with a few others and how it works out in the congested midfield is anyone’s guess.
FISICHELLA
This is a very smart move by Fisichella. His dream is to drive a Ferrari in Italy and this is as close as you can get to a Ferrari at the moment. You can sense the frustration from Fisichella when he was at Jordan. He has the potential to win races, as Brazil last year showed, although that was a very fortunate victory. Jordan, with all their money troubles, was just not competitive enough for Fisichella.
Well, Fisichella is now in a new team with a new environment. All he can do is race the car to the best of his ability and hope that dream Ferrari move comes off. I very much doubt he can recreate that win in Brazil but regular points are all he can hope for.
MASSA
Massa has had a strange career so far. He signed for Sauber and it was considered a risk but he had potential. A bad season followed so he spent the next season as a test driver and now he’s back at Sauber again. This means that the new season with Sauber is very crucial; as you don’t get many chances to prove yourself in Formula 1, especially at a smaller team hoping for a bigger drive.
I think Massa will be consistently outdone by teammate Fisichella but he might give him a run for his money every so often. It depends on how much he has learned in the season he had test-driving. He had a major shunt in testing but is fine. Massa’s job is to score the points when Fisichella can’t. It could be a tough season for Massa.
TOYOTA
Toyota is a lot like Benetton when Schumacher left, great at some tracks but absolutely hopeless at others. They have got to get more consistent in order to challenge for regular points and podium places. The car is usually pretty good and they have had an average testing period.
Toyota has the backing, the money, the engine and a nice mixture of drivers, so there is no reason why they can’t achieve great things. I don’t think they will and a lot of questions will be asked. I predict a tough season for Toyota.
PANIS
When Panis won in Monaco, it could have gone on to greater things. That crash in Canada halted his run and he has never recovered. He is now the oldest driver in Formula 1 and I think this might be his last season. Panis is experienced but lacks the real pace and consistency required.
Panis will be required to improve the car during the season and next season a bigger driver will take his place in what Toyota hope will be a good team. If Panis loses to Da Matta too many times in the season, I don’t expect him to survive for another one.
DA MATTA
The risk of picking a rookie over experience was a wise choice when they selected Da Matta. There is always a slight question mark as to whether the drivers that do well in America can do well in Formula 1. The failures of Michael Andretti and Alex Zanardi prove that point. Da Matta, however, had a good season in 2003 and now he knows the tracks, he will be looking for more consistency.
I think Da Matta will outdo Panis and keep his drive at Toyota. A better car and Da Matta could be a race winner. He’s certainly showed his race winning potential in America and has settled into Formula 1.
JAGUAR
What a strange team! Jaguar bought out the Stewart team and put their funding and engines behind the framework that was there, and they went backwards. When Irvine was there, the car handled really badly. They eventually fixed the problem and now Jaguar is looking good.
I think it’s fair to say that Jaguar’s pace in qualifying was false, as they used to run light with fuel and drift back during the race to pick up the odd point. The major problem is Jaguar is obvious; they are just not fast enough, either in qualifying with a bit more fuel or in the race. They need to find the extra pace to come out on top of the midfield congestion. A good set of testing times recently should have boosted the confidence for the new season.
WEBBER
What can you say about Webber? He’s driven a season for Minardi and a season for Jaguar and he has taken his teammates to the cleaners. Webber is a star and needs a good car to shine because if there was ever Championship potential, this guy has got it in buckets. He’s fearless, relaxed and super quick.
He was without doubt the revelation of one lap qualifying as he took to it like a duck to water. I’m a big fan of Webber and he has wrung every little bit of speed out of that Jaguar last season. If he gets the car, who knows what he can achieve?
KLIEN
For those of you that don’t know him, he is a former German Formula Renault Champion and he was runner up in the European Formula 3 Championship last year. Unfortunately for him, he has a lot to live up to. Jaguar have stated that the second driver must be a regular points finisher and signed Klien.
If he is to be a regular points scorer, he has got to be near Webber and that is tough to do. Webber has already seen off Pizzonia and Wilson and Klien could be the next casualty. It is going to be a steep learning curve, a tough season and quite possibly a futile effort.
JORDAN
You can’t help but feel sorry for Eddie Jordan and the Jordan team. I remember the scenes when Damon Hill and Ralf Schumacher gave Jordan their first one-two finish and their first win at a rain soaked Belgium. They then had a season where Frentzen was still in the title picture with only a couple of rounds left but it’s gone down hill from there.
A real heartbreaking season last time out and the well-documented money troubles have hindered what was a delightful couple of seasons. They’ve lost key members of the design team like Gary Anderson a few years back and the car has suffered. The drivers that have been brought in have needed to have a lot of sponsors backing them and a lot of money to invest into the team. It’s a sad state of affairs and I can’t see much changing from last year. Testing in the run up to the new season has not done anything to inspire anyone.
HEIDFELD
Heidfeld was a consistent performer at Sauber and he felt he should have had the McLaren drive instead of Raikkonen. Heidfeld then started slipping behind his more experienced teammate Frentzen last season and the writing was on the wall. Heidfeld did not show that he was capable of elevating a team to the next level.
Now Heidfeld is in Jordan and he has a real struggle on his hands. He has to show what he is capable of in a team that is going through a real problem at the moment. Heidfeld is going to have to work extremely hard to impress the other teams. I can’t see him scoring that many points this season as he deals with life at the back of the grid.
PANTANO
Well, money talks and people would assume that Pantano is in Formula 1 because of the money he brings to Jordan. He is, however, very talented. He has driven in Formula 3000 where he was a runner-up in the Championship in 2002 and came 3rd in the Championship in 2003. He has had tests with 3 major teams in the past and they were all impressed.
Eddie Jordan has a habit of picking stars so can Pantano be another Jordan gem? Well, it’s the top level now for Pantano and the new boys don’t get many chances. It’s a tough season ahead for Pantano and all he can do is run Heidfeld very close to show how good he is.
MINARDI
Ah yes, Minardi. They are like that person or team that has zero chance of winning anything but everyone loves them. They scrape and claw and scrap for what little morsels the teams ahead of them drop for them. Minardi are actually very good at getting hold of some real talent, because if you remember, Alonso and Webber have both driven for Minardi.
Well, they spent all the season at the back and I have seen no reason to suggest anything will change. They are at the back all the time and that’s why we love them. The delight on the team’s faces when they pick up even one point is a reminder to all the big teams and drivers how privileged they are. They haven’t done that great in testing, which isn’t surprising.
BAUMGARTNER
The career of Baumgartner hasn’t been filled with success. Actually, it hasn’t been filled with much of anything. The only major achievement on his CV is the 2 races he had for Jordan. The Hungarian replaced Firman when he was injured. He drove in the Hungarian Grand Prix, which was a delight for the Hungarian fans and the Italian Grand Prix.
A retirement in Hungary and 11th in Italy was enough to convince Paul Stoddart that he should give him a go. Well, that and about 5 million pounds from the Hungarian government and other backers, which eventually involved Hungarian fans making up the difference when a backer pulled out. It is very difficult to impress at the bottom but it can be done.
BRUNI
I’m guessing that not many people have heard of this guy. Well, he’s actually done pretty well for himself. He is a former Italian Formula Renault Champion and a former European Former Renault Champion. He was also Minardi’s test driver while he also competed in the European Formula 3000 series, in which he finished 3rd.
Fisichella rates this driver very highly and is making his debut this season. I suppose that puts a lot of pressure on him to live up to that. It will be interesting to see how he does against Baumgartner because the one that comes out on top might go on to better things.
Well, there you have it. Every driver and team dissected. It promises to be one of the closest seasons in history and the teams with the best driver/team package are the ones that will come out on top. However, the teams, or should I say the engine manufacturers, have a different problem to contend with.
For this season, every driver’s engine must last the whole weekend without a change in a bid to cut costs. Any engine change results in a 10 place drop down the grid at the next Grand Prix. That was the latest development. Also, new punishment rules have been implemented but have not been officially announced as yet. An article on them exists on an F1 website somewhere.
The points system is staying the same as last year with the points being given to the top 8 finishers (10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1). Major event changes include the scrapping of the Friday private testing session and Friday qualifying. Instead, Fridays consist of two one-hour practise sessions and that is where the third driver can play his part. Third drivers have to have not driven in more than 6 races in the past two seasons, meaning any third driver will be relatively inexperienced.
With Friday qualifying gone, Saturday is where the major stuff happens before Sunday’s race. After two 45-minute practise sessions, Friday’s qualifying and Saturday’s qualifying are now done back to back with a two-minute break in-between. It remains just one fast lap for everyone in each session. Refuelling and tyre changes are obviously allowed before their second run.
There is one final change that I’d like to mention. The pit lane speed limit has been increased to 100kph, which is just over 60mph.
The last port of call for this definitive guide is the tyre war. The tyre war rages on with Michelin having, by the end of the season, the better Dry tyre but Bridgestone having a super Intermediate tyre and a better Wet tyre than Michelin.
The tyres could be the deciding factor in who wins and who loses the Championship. All the major teams have been running tyre programmes in a bid to outdo each other before the start of the new season. B.A.R have reportedly ditched Bridgestone and have gone to Michelin so it will be interesting to see if any other teams do any late changes. Michelin have the majority of the grid at last count.
So there you have it. Everything you need to know about the F1 season for 2004 is right here. If you’ve managed to read the whole thing, well done. I hope that we all enjoy a good season and I hope you’ve enjoyed swatting up on your F1.
Until next time, you have found out why my name is Grandprix. I thank you.
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The new F1 season, it's better than Christmas.
Thanks very much everyone. I'm glad you all enjoyed it and put the effort in to read it.
Biggie Little™ wrote:
> what a fantastic preview!
That must be the first sensible thing that you've ever said. :^P
> what a fantastic preview!
That must be the first sensible thing that you've ever said. :^P
what a fantastic preview!
That was one damn good preview- far better than mine! :)
Gameaday win, almost for sure.
Gameaday win, almost for sure.
I'll read it later...looks too long now lol :P
For those interested in a professional preview, there is one on ITV on Sunday at 2pm. Apparently, it features the Bahrain and Chinese tracks, which should be interesting viewing.
I actually read the whole thing, an excellent review there GP.
Heh, I did go a little too far. It was 7 and a half pages on Word when I had finished. It took me somewhere between 3-4 hours on and off.
You've got to love what you do. :)
You've got to love what you do. :)
Wow - I managed to drink two cups of tea while reading that :)
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