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So, here we are, end of season, with Ferrari able to look back on another year with complete satisfaction. Both the Drivers' and the Constructors' Championships have been well and truly sewn up, Michael Schumacher winning his seventh Championship title with ease, a feat which might well never be repeated, and certainly endorses his application and is a true reflection of his consummate skills. The Constructor's Championship was won by the Scuderia for a record sixth time in a row, which brought them the coveted manufacturer's crown for the 14th time! Once again, Michael Schumacher was ably supported by the loyal Rubens Barrichello and between them they have so far amassed a grand total of 254 Championship points before this final week end. It needed the combined efforts Button (BAR), Alonso (Renault), Montoya (Williams) and Trulli (Renault) to exceed this total, such was the dominance of the Ferrari drivers. In the Constructors' battle, it took BAR, Renault and Williams to collectively exceed the Ferrari points grand total. Does that make it boring? Never! One sided? Certainly, especially if you're are a Tifoso, but this writer never tires of banging the it-is-up-to-the-others-to-catch-up drum. Once the major titles had been decided even before the season end, the major interest and even excitement in our sport started to come in from entirely different directions, all at once, and with great intensity. We had the confusing saga of Jenson Button with apparently two different contracts for 2005 and when that fact was coupled to what can best be described as an initial confused statement from Mr. Button himself; the media certainly had a field day. Sides were taken, of course, sympathies for the various players, particularly David Richards, were expressed, and it was finally left to the good offices of the CRB to decide just exactly what and who went where for the 2005 season. Button's BAR get-out is believed to have centred around the certainty of a Honda works engine supply to BAR. I think insufficient recognition was given to the mid-season statement from Honda that "we will supply BAR for 2005" as it was perhaps not couched in a language that an English Court would find binding. However, as the very Top Man from Honda had declared it in a press conference, in Japanese terms, such a statement is not negotiable and is as strong a commitment as you can possibly have. So much for the differences in our respective cultures. Jenson is to stay with BAR for the year 2005 after all, but I do believe he rounded off the situation quite nicely with a definitive statement from the Sao Paulo pit lane to the effect that "It was not that I didn't want to drive for BAR, it was just that I wanted to drive somewhere else". To the lad's eternal credit, he has managed ten podium finishes this season, some of these being achieved during a period of what can best be described as unease. And then we have the other on-going saga where Mr. Bernie Ecclestone, the Entrepreneur, and Sir Jackie Stewart, the President of the BRDC are having a public spat as to just where, if at all, does the British Grand Prix fit into the 2005 Calendar? It is alleged that Bernie has already threatened to wrap the kilt of the aforementioned Sir round his head during one altercation, which really does beg the question as to just what price would be the filming rights to capture the scene? A play back of the event would end considerable speculation, and certainly sort the thing out for posterity, but would it really settle if and when we were going to have a British Grand Prix..... At the last count, Bernie was threatening to seriously sue Sir Jackie all the way, "not just to the Court Room steps", regarding his (Sir Jackie's) statement made live on BBC that he (Bernie) was reneging on a previous promise made to "a Minister" to the effect that a two year dispensation would be granted to the Silverstone venue, unless of course, a public apology is forthcoming. Whilst all this was bubbling very nicely indeed, "Our Nige" appeared from stage left in a cameo role offering wealth beyond the dreams of avarice to the BRDC, but his apparent offer has been and gone without being taken too seriously. We all know that any show is never over until the Fat Lady has had a sing, but surely isn't it time she got on with it for the sake of F1, so that we can all get some peace and be able to look forward to a 2005 season, dedicated to motor racing proper, rather than all the peripheral clap-trap and the inconsequential politicking? I certainly hope so. Final practice contained lots of ingredients that were bound to please, with quite a few of the contestants having something to prove. Barrichello was certainly due a home win, there having been only three previous Brazilian winners, Fittipaldi, Pace and Senna, the latter having won it on two occasions. Michael Schumacher had thrown his car at the scenery at very high speed late in the last pre-practice session, thankfully without harm to himself, but not before the car burst into flames substantially damaging the rear end. This meant that he would suffer a ten place engine change penalty even before the official timed runs began, which must have been an added incentive for Rubens. Montoya was having his last drive for Sir Frank Williams, and must surely have felt he owed something to the Williams Team, having brought with him great expectancy levels when he joined and then promising only to deceive on so many subsequent occasions. It was down to "gi'us a job" time for David Coulthard having his last drive at McLaren, and it was also the last drive for Mark Webber at Jaguar, where a blaze of glory could have dramatically effected the valuation of the team, should a potential buyer be in negotiation. Jenson Button and Takuma Sato had little to worry about as Renault would have to score a 1-2 to pinch second place in the Constructors' Championship from BAR. It was therefore a very emotional occasion for Barrichello to be on pole with Montoya sharing the front row 0.204 seconds adrift. Raikkonen was not going to be left out, occupying the second row alongside a hard charging Filipe Massa, whose time generated a well deserved spontaneous round of applause from his pit crew. Button just edged his team mate Sato to share the third row, and it was a clear indication of things to come when it was noted that the first eleven cars on the grid were within a second on each other. Michael Schumacher managed eighth in the "T" car, but was relegated to eighteenth by his penalty. Race day started fine with good to perfect track conditions. But then it rained about an hour before the off to nicely spice up the track surface, thank you very much indeed! Most of the runners, whether Bridgestone or Michelin shod, switched to intermediates, a few brave souls, Coulthard for example, stayed on drys. Barrichello made a copy book start, closely followed by Montoya, the rest of the field gingerly holding close station, thankfully without any dramatic collisions or offs taking place. Before lap 2 was completed, Raikkonen was clearly having none of this and charged past both Montoya and Barrichello to take up the lead in a most aggressive fashion. Good for him! The rain virtually stopped within the next lap, with Ralf Schumacher being the first to pit, causing all sorts of activity, as leaders and tail enders alike came in almost in unison to change their tyres, top up where necessary, hoping to recapture their positions in the field before all the kerfuffle broke out. Rubens chose not to come in until the end of lap 6, a choice of strategy that eventually cost him dear. Poor Jenson Button didn't even get as far as a tyre change, his car already showing an excess of smoke on the grid even after the warm up lap, to cry enough before the end of his third lap. One can only imagine just what he was thinking as he watched both the Williams cars circulating so rapidly and so confidently as to what might have been for 2005. The race continued at a pace, the front cars actually racing each other, contesting virtually every corner with Montoya in the lead, being harassed by Raikkonen closing to within a second on several occasions, but never quite managing to get the required amount of suck in the right place to perform an overtaking manoeuvre. Barrichello maintained the same pace as the two leaders but failed to close the gap, whilst Michael Schumacher's cause was not helped by him compounding his lowly grid position with a spin on the third lap, despite having already picked six places so early in the race. He was certainly pushing hard with his usual strength of purpose but he could do little about the race for fourth place, being stuck behind a high speed train of Alonso, Sato and brother Ralf, all circulating in very close formation. Ralf eventually managed to get past the hard-charging Sato by out-fumbling him on a tight corner, but it was interesting to watch thereafter how the seriously effective traction control on the Renault allowed Alonso to quite literally rocket away from the Williams out of every corner. All the best efforts of slip streaming and late braking came to nought in the final reckoning with such a mechanical disadvantage. The race ended with a joyous win for Montoya with Sir Frank Williams at his most dignified best declaring "It was a fight of champions and Juan Pablo produced a drive which was a fitting way to end his stay with us. I'm truly sorry he is going elsewhere but am very happy for him and us that he won so well today". Kimi Raikkonen finished in a good second place, just 1.022 secs in arrears, with Rubens Barrichello a distant third. All the good intention of the Jaguar team went with a crash, when the hapless Christian Klien very firmly shut the door on his team mate Mark Webber, instantly ending the latter's forward progress. Klien did manage what must have been an embarrassing 14th. place, having stopped for a new front wing. David Coulthard finished a very disappointing lapped 11th. place, struggling with his initial tyre choice, a position which might just have detracted from the overall McLaren team performance. So, the season is over. Ferrari dominated all the important.phpects once
again, but the late runs of both Williams and McLaren, plus the season
long achievements of BAR and Renault auger well for 2005. Let's all hope
that all the outstanding differences can be sorted and that the good old
"let's slog it out from the front" racing will be the order
of the day.
Click here to return to the Ferrari Happenings page.
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