Over F1’s 69 year history there have been many seasons where one teams dominates and leaves a tightly packed and competitive field to fight over the remaining points paying positions and to think ‘what if… what if that dominant team hadn’t competed and opened the gates for a more competitive season?’. This piece plans to describe and show what the 2004 season would’ve been like had the juggernaut of Ferrari that season not competed. 2004 was heaven if you were a fan of the team from Maranello. 15 wins, 12 pole positions, 8 1-2 finishes, 14 fastest laps, 785 laps led and 6 triple crowns. Schumacher was champion with a then record 148 points, Barrichello finishing 2nd with 114, and Ferrari winning the Constructors with 262 points, another record for the time. It’s to be imagined then that without Ferrari the 2004 season would’ve been massively different, at least a closer fight for the title. The analysis will be facts from each race, the pole sitter, the top 8 finishers and the top 3 in the championship after the conclusion of the resulting race. Points are awarded as such: 1st = 10, 2nd = 8, 3rd = 6, 4th = 5, 5th = 4, 6th = 3, 7th = 2, 8th = 1.

Round 1-Australia: Pole= Montoya

Top 8:

1. Alonso
2. R.Schumacher
3. Montoya
4. Button
5. Trulli
6. Coulthard
7. Sato
8. Fisichella

The race saw Alonso take his second win of his then 34- race career and it was the first time he led the championship in his career too. It was the first double podium for Williams since the French GP from the year before.

Drivers Championship: Alonso= 10pts, R.Schumacher= 8pts, Montoya= 6pts

Constructor Championship: Renault= 14pts, Williams= 14pts, B.A.R= 7pts

Round 2-Malaysia: Pole= Webber

Top 8:

1. Montoya
2. Button
3. Trulli
4. Coulthard
5. Alonso
6. Massa
7. Da Matta
8. Klien

Webber took his first, and Jaguar’s only, pole position whilst Klien took the teams first points of the season. Button took his first podium finish and Montoya took the championship lead.

Drivers Championship: Montoya= 16pts, Alonso= 14pts, Button=13pts

Constructors Championship: Renault= 24pts, Williams= 24pts, B.A.R= 15pts

Round 3-Bahrain: Pole= Montoya

Top 8:

1. Button
2. Trulli
3. Sato
4. Alonso
5. R.Schumacher
6. Webber
7. Panis
8. Da Matta

Button took his first career victory as well as taking the lead of the world championship after Montoya retired. He was the third title leader in as many races. Button’s team-mate, Sato, also joined him up on the podium to make it the first double podium finish ever for the B.A.R team. Trulli beat his team-mate Alonso for the second race running whilst McLaren had a no-score.

Drivers Championship: Button= 23pts, Alonso= 19pts, Trulli= 18pts

Constructors Championship: Renault= 37pts, B.A.R= 31pts, Williams= 28pts

Round 4-San Marino: Pole= Button

Top 8:

1. Button
2. Montoya
3. Alonso
4. Trulli
5. R.Schumacher
6. Raikkonen
7. Fisichella
8. Massa

Button achieved his first pole position and became the first back-to-back winner of the season. This race would be only the second where Button, Alonso and Montoya would share the same podium even though they would end up top three in the championship. Raikkonen kick-started his season with 3 points, a far cry from missing out on the title by 2 points the season prior.

Drivers Championship: Button= 33pts, Alonso= 25pts, Montoya= 24pts

Constructors Championship: Renault= 48pts, B.A.R= 41pts, Williams= 40pts

 

Round 5-Spain: Pole= Montoya

Top 8:

1. Trulli
2. Alonso
3. Sato
4. R.Schumacher
5. Fisichella
6. Button
7. Massa
8. Coulthard

Trulli took his first career win with his team-mate less than a second behind. It was a second successive double points finish for the Sauber team. McLaren were still languishing towards the bottom of the points, if not out of them.

Drivers Championship: Button= 36pts, Alonso= 33pts, Trulli= 33pts

Constructors Championship: Renault= 66pts, B.A.R= 50pts, Williams= 45pts

Round 6-Monaco: Pole= Trulli

Top 8:

1. Trulli
2. Button
3. Montoya
4. Massa
5. Da Matta
6. Heidfeld
7. Panis
8. Baumgartner

Trulli became the second back-to-back winner of the season with the other less than 0.5 sec’s behind at the flag, 3rd being a lap behind. Heldfeld and Baumgartner joined the scorers whilst Da Matta got his best result of the season.

Drivers Championship: Button= 44pts, Trulli= 43pts, Alonso= 33pts

Constructors Championship: Renault= 76pts, B.A.R= 58pts, Williams= 51pts

Round 7-Europe: Pole: Sato

Top 8:

1. Button
2. Trulli
3. Alonso
4. Fisichella
5. Webber
6. Montoya
7. Massa
8. Heidfeld

Sato had his first career victory robbed from him due to engine problems within the last few laps and his team-mate was the one to inherit the win, the gap to Trulli being over 30 sec’s. Once again Williams and McLaren left much to be desired from the weekend.

Drivers Championship: Button= 54pts, Trulli= 51pts, Alonso= 39pts

Constructors Championship: Renault= 90pts, B.A.R= 68pts, Williams= 54pts

Round 8-Canada: Pole= R.Schumacher

Top 8:

1. Button
2. Fisichella
3. Raikkonen
4. Coulthard
5. Glock
6. Heidfeld
7. Klien
8. Baumgartner

R.Schumacher led from pole and won his first race of the season only for both Williams to be disqualified due to brake duct irregularities. That second podium for Schumacher remained illusive. Button would win by over 40 sec’s whilst Fisichella got Sauber their best result of the season. Glock got 4 points on his debut as both Jordan cars scored as did both the McLarens.

Drivers Championship: Button= 64pts, Trulli= 51pts, Alonso= 39pts

Constructors Championship: Renault= 90pts, B.A.R= 88pts, Williams= 54pts

Round 9-U.S.A: Pole= Sato

Top 8:

1. Sato
2. Trulli
3. Panis
4. Raikkonen
5. Coulthard
6. Baumgartner
7. Fisichella
8. Webber

Sato got the win that alluded him at the Nurburgring. Trulli stormed from last to get 4th, whilst Panis and Baumgartner got the best results of their seasons (Panis scoring Toyota’s only podium of the year). The McLaren cars looked to have found new form in North America and hoped to revitalise their season back in Europe. Webber didn’t finish but was given 8th as only 7 cars finished in a race of attrition. R.Schumacher suffered an injury that would see him out until China.

Drivers Championship: Button= 64pts, Trulli= 59pts, Alonso= 39pts

Constructors Championship: Renault= 98pts, B.A.R= 88pts, Williams= 54pts

Round 10-France: Pole= Alonso

Top 8:

1. Alonso
2. Trulli
3. Button
4. Coulthard
5. Raikkonen
6. Montoya
7. Webber
8. Gene

A 1-2 for Renault on French soil was one of the stories of the season, Trulli got his 5th podium in 6 races and McLaren were again consistent but never looked like race winners. More was needed. Gene, R.Schumacher’s replacement, scored on the first time of asking in what was an underwhelming race for Williams with Montoya dropping more points to Button and Alonso.

Drivers Championship: Button= 70pts, Trulli= 67pts, Alonso= 49pts

Constructors Championship: Renault= 116pts, B.A.R= 94pts, Williams= 58pts

Round 11-Britain: Pole= Raikkonen

Top 8:

1. Raikkonen
2. Button
3. Montoya
4. Fisichella
5. Coulthard
6. Webber
7. Massa
8. Alonso

Could Button win on home turf? No. Raikkonen controlling the race from pole and by winning by 8 sec’s gave McLaren that first win although meaning little in terms of a title resurgence. Montoya got his first podium for 5 races that was made more important by an off day for Alonso. Fisichella once again impressed.

Drivers Championship: Button= 78pts, Trulli= 67pts, Alonso= 50pts

Constructors Championship: Renault= 117pts, B.A.R= 102pts, Williams= 64pts

Round 12-Germany: Pole= Montoya

Top 8:

1. Button
2. Alonso
3. Coulthard
4. Montoya
5. Webber
6. Pizzonia
7. Sato
8. Fisichella

Montoya couldn’t convert pole into his first race win since Malaysia whilst Button, from 13th no less, took his first since Canada. Coulthard getting his first podium of the year also. Pizzonia, the replacement for the replacement Gene, managing to score points as did Sato for the first time since his win as a solid period of form seemed to be absent.

Drivers Championship: Button= 88pts, Trulli= 67pts, Alonso= 58pts

Constructors Championship: Renault= 125pts, B.A.R= 114pts, Williams= 72pts

Round 13-Hungary: Pole= Sato

Top 8:

1. Alonso
2. Montoya
3. Button
4. Sato
5. Pizzonia
6. Fisichella
7. Coulthard
8. Webber

Sato hoped his first pole since the U.S GP would see him replicate that same race. It wasn’t to be as both the B.A.R cars lost positions from the start, although the top three in the championship did share the podium. Pizzonia scored back-back and Webber now had scored 5 times in the last 6 races and punching above his weight in what was an underwhelming Jaguar car once again.

Drivers Championship: Button= 94pts, Alonso= 68pts, Trulli= 67 points

Constructors Championship: Renault= 135pts, B.A.R= 125pts, Williams= 84pts

Round 14-Belgium: Pole= Trulli

Top 8:

1. Raikkonen
2. Massa
3. Fisichella
4. Klien
5. Coulthard
6. Panis
7. Trulli
8. Zonta

It was a day of best results as the top three teams faulted. McLaren equaled their best result, Klien got Jaguars best result of the season as did Sauber with a double podium. Trulli ended a run of 4 non-scores but didn’t get the maximum from pole. Both Toyota cars got into the points as well.

Drivers Championship: Button= 94pts, Trulli= 69pts, Alonso= 68pts

Constructors Championship: Renault= 137pts, B.A.R= 125pts, Williams= 84pts

Round 15-Italy: Pole= Montoya

Top 8:

1. Button
2. Sato
3. Montoya
4. Coulthard
5. Pizzonia
6. Fisichella
7. Webber
8. Trulli

Both Italian drivers scored at Monza whilst Montoya made it 5 out of 5 poles without a win and it would prove costly. B.A.R’s first and only 1-2 of the season saw them take the lead of the Constructors Championship whilst with victory, and with 3 rounds remaining, Button became champion.

Drivers Championship: Button= 104pts, Trulli= 70pts, Alonso= 68pts

Constructors Championship: B.A.R= 143pts, Renault= 138pts, Williams= 94pts

Round 16-China: Pole= Raikkonen

Top 8:

1. Button
2. Raikkonen
3. Alonso
4. Montoya
5. Sato
6. Fisichella
7. Massa
8. Coulthard

The top 2 finished within 0.5 sec’s of each other with Alonso a further 30 sec’s back. R.Schumacher returned but didn’t score whilst Renault dropped Trulli abruptly and replaced him with 1997 champion Villeneuve who didn’t score either. B.A.R extended their lead in the Constructor’s Championship.

Drivers Championship: Button= 114pts, Alonso= 74pts, Trulli= 70pts

Constructors Championship: B.A.R= 157pts, Renault= 142pts, Williams= 99pts

Round 17-Japan: Pole= R.Schumacher

Top 8:

1. R.Schumacher
2. Button
3. Sato
4. Alonso
5. Raikkonen
6. Montoya
7. Fisichella
8. Massa

Canada was made up for as R.Schumacher won from pole at his second race back. A double podium for the B.A.R cars, powered by Honda, was a great result but was capped off with the team clinching the Constructors Championship. Japanese jubilation.

Drivers Championship: Button= 122pts, Alonso= 79pts, Trulli= 70pts

Constructors Championship: B.A.R= 171pts, Renault= 149pts, Williams= 112pts

Round 18-Brazil: Pole= Montoya

Top 8:

1. Montoya
2. Raikkonen
3. Alonso
4. R.Schumacher
5. Sato
6. Massa
7. Fisichella
8. Villeneuve

Montoya finally won from pole to beat his to-be team-mate at McLaren for next year, Raikkonen, and to secure 3rd in the drivers standings. Sauber got their 8th double points finish of the year as Villeneuve finally scored.

Drivers Championship: Button= 122pts, Alonso= 85pts, Montoya=79pts

Constructors Championship: B.A.R= 175pts, Renault= 155pts, Williams= 127pts

 

 

Story of the season:

 

*All results tables and graphs are my own work