WilliamsF1 4th & 5th in Australia


5th for JPM

By Andrew Hooper
March 7 2004

The BMW WilliamsF1 drivers, Ralf and Juan Pablo were 4th & 5th in the 2004 Australia Grand Prix. In a race where the team admitted that their Michelin tyres would not be as competitive they struggled. Juan Pablo would also make a mistake at the start losing places as a result.

 

 

  
Fourth & Fifth in Australia
 
The 2004 Australian Grand Prix would see the BMW WilliamsF1 drivers finish fourth and fifth in a race that showed that, given the conditions, they are still lacking the pace to challenge Ferrari. Not a great way to start the season especially after the huge amounts of testing. In a television interview Juan Pablo admitted that the weather conditions did not help their tyres. He said: "We knew before that with this cooler weather there was nothing to do."

MontoyaAll the cars would get away on the formation lap with the Ferrari's leading. The day was cooler than the previous days which could favour the Bridgestone teams over their Michelin rivals.

With launch control the start of the race should be interesting and t he start of the 2004 Australian Grand Prix would see Alonso trying to pass Montoya going into turn one. Juan Pablo would go in very deep and as a result would take to the grass. He would return on the track near Ralf. The two Ferrari's were leading with Michael leading. The two WilliamsF1 drivers were running together with Juan leading Ralf.

Alonso was in third, with Button fourth and Trulli fifth. Juan Pablo was in sixth and Ralf seventh. Montoya's aggression at the start of the race has cost him dearly. He was to lock up his left front tyre which saw him take to the grass.

Lap four and Ralf is ten seconds behind the leading Ferrari. Third placed Alonso was four seconds behind. Michael was lapping around a second quicker than the Renault. On lap five Jaguar's Mark Webber was in eighth.

By lap six Michael was 2.3 sec ahead of second placed Rubens. Both the two Ferrari's were setting times in the 1m:24sec. The WilliamsF1 drivers were falling away from the leaders with Juan Pablo sixteen seconds behind after seven laps. The two McLaren's were down in tenth and eleventh with Coulthard leading Raikkonen. Michael would set the fastest lap with an amazing 1m:24.170.

Fisichella would be the first to pit on lap ten. Raikkonen would spin his car while trying to pass Massa. A poor weekend from the McLaren team. Raikkonen would hop out of his car retiring with a technical problem. Montoya would pit from eighth place, stopping for ten secs. Lap eleven and Barrichello would also stop, 8.1 seconds. He would be joined by Alonso and Button.

Michael Schumacher would pit the next lap, 9.4 seconds. Ralf would stop for 7.3 seconds bringing him back out in front of Trulli who also stopped. Webber was now running in third. He would pit, 10.2 seconds, returning behind Juan Pablo. Ralf was in sixth and Juan Pablo tenth. Lap fourteen and Michael was leading by 1.4 seconds. Coulthard would pit, 11.7 seconds on lap fifteen, joined by Massa. Toyota's Olivier Panis would pit.

Ralf SchumacherSo the order after fifteen laps was Michael Schumacher, Barrichello, Alonso, Button, Ralf, Trulli and Montoya. Juan Pablo was 30.7 seconds behind the leader. After eighteen laps the only driver yet to pit was Jordan's Giorgio Pantano. Sato would run wide at Turn one. Ralf was closing in on Jenson Button, with Juan Pablo right behind Trulli.

Lap twenty one ad the positions at the front were fairly static. Neither Ralf or Juan Pablo could find their way in front of Button or Trulli. Prior to the race Sam Michael had said that the cooler conditions were not that ideal for their tyres. lap twenty three and Alonso was still in third 20.6 seconds ahead of Button. Barrichello was 2.7 seconds behind Michael.

Alonso would pit Montoya would finally pass Trulli going into turn thirteen in a clean passing move. Juan Pablo would quickly pull away from the Renault. Ralf was in fifth with Juan Pablo in sixth. lap twenty seven both Button and Juan Pablo would pit. Juan Pablo would have a problem with a sticking wheel nut. The next lap and Webber would pit. Ralf would be running close behind Alonso but would pit and having a small problem getting away.

FW26Barrichello would pit, 7.2 seconds, followed by Michael Schumacher the next lap. He would return still in the lead. Ralf and Juan Pablo were running in fourth and sixth. Lap thirty two and Mark Webber would pull into his garage to retire with gearbox problems. Alonso was in third with Juan Pablo closing in on Button. BY lap thirty six Juan Pablo was 0.7 seconds behind with Ralf only 3.6 seconds ahead of Button. At the front Rubens was 7.6 seconds behind Michael Schumacher.

Coulthard would pit from eighth, joined by Massa. Juan Pablo would finally pass the BAR going into turn thirteen. Button was forced to the grass as Juan Pablo did not back yield. Button lost his place as a consequence of not getting away from Turn twelve allowing Juan Pablo to get a run on him into the next turn. Juan Pablo would quickly pull away from Jenson.

Alonso would pit from third, rejoining ahead of Ralf in fourth. Juan Pablo was in fifth. Massa would have a big moment at Turn twelve running wide. Michael would lap seventh placed Trulli. Trulli would pit. Lap forty one and Juan Pablo would set his fastest lap of the race, a 1m:25.286. Button would pit from sixth. There were only four retirements in the race so far. Lap forty four and Rubens would pit. Da Matta would also pit from thirteenth. Michael would stop the next lap joined by Juan Pablo.

MontoyaThe next lap would see Ralf and Fisichella pit. 8.5 seconds for Ralf. Both Heidfeld and Massa would retire. Nick had just pitted. In his pitstop Nick would run into one of his mechanics. Juan Pablo was in fifth with Michael the length of the main straight behind him. Ralf was still in fourth.

With eight laps to go and Juan Pablo would run wide at Turn fourteen running the bottom of the car across the kerb. Lap fifty one and Michael would ease back his pace, leading Rubens by 24.1 seconds. Last years winner David Coulthard was in eighth. Lap fifty six and Rubens would close the gap to Michael down to eighteen seconds.

Michael would cross the line winning the race, fifteen seconds ahead of Rubens and a massive gap back to third placed Alonso. Ralf and Juan Pablo were fourth and fifth, with Button sixth, Trulli and Coulthard seventh and eighth. This was the fastest Australian Grand Prix recorded. It would be Michael's seventh first race win.
 

P. No Driver Team - Engine Tyres Gaps/Laps Stops

1. 1 M. SCHUMACHER Ferrari B 1h24'15"757 3
2. 2 BARRICHELLO Ferrari B + 0'13"600 3
3. 8 ALONSO Renault M + 0'34"600 3
4. 4 R. SCHUMACHER WilliamsF1 BMW M + 1'00"400 3
5. 3 MONTOYA WilliamsF1 BMW M + 1'08"500 3
6. 9 BUTTON BAR Honda M + 1'10"500 3
7. 7 TRULLI Renault M 1 lap(s) 3
8. 5 COULTHARD McLaren Mercedes M 1 lap(s) 2
9. 10 SATO BAR Honda M 1 lap(s) 3
10. 11 FISICHELLA Sauber Petronas B 1 lap(s) 3
11. 15 KLIEN Jaguar Cosworth M 2 lap(s) 2
12. 16 DA MATTA Toyota M 2 lap(s) 3
13. 17 PANIS Toyota M 2 lap(s) 2
14. 19 PANTANO Jordan Ford B 3 lap(s) 2
15. 12 MASSA Sauber Petronas B 14 lap(s) 2
16. 18 HEIDFELD Jordan Ford B 15 lap(s) 3
17. 20 BRUNI Minardi Cosworth B 15 lap(s) 3
18. 14 WEBBER Jaguar Cosworth M 29 lap(s) 2
19. 21 BAUMGARTNER Minardi Cosworth B 45 lap(s) 1
20. 6 RAIKKONEN McLaren Mercedes M 49 lap(s) 0

 
 
 
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