2004 Australian Grand Prix
First round of the 2004 Formula One season / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The 2004 Australian Grand Prix (officially the 2004 Foster's Australian Grand Prix)[2] was a Formula One motor race held on 7 March 2004 at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit. It was Race 1 of 18 in the 2004 FIA Formula One World Championship. Michael Schumacher won the race for Ferrari from pole position in dominant fashion,[lower-alpha 1] with his teammate Rubens Barrichello finishing behind him in second. This 1–2 finish gave Ferrari a strong 9-point lead in the constructors' standings after just one race. Williams and Renault each had both cars finish in the points while McLaren, a team that had enjoyed success in years preceding this, only managed one point, with David Coulthard finishing a lapped 8th.[5] The 1-2 finish for Schumacher and Barrichello was the first one-two finish for their Ferrari team since the 2002 Japanese Grand Prix.[6]
2004 Australian Grand Prix | |||
---|---|---|---|
Race 1 of 18 in the 2004 Formula One World Championship | |||
Race details | |||
Date | 7 March 2004 | ||
Official name | 2004 Foster's Australian Grand Prix | ||
Location | Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne, Australia | ||
Course | Temporary street circuit | ||
Course length | 5.303 km (3.295 miles) | ||
Distance | 58 laps, 307.574 km (191.118 miles) | ||
Weather |
Dry and cloudy Air temperature 20 °C (68 °F) | ||
Attendance | 121,500[1] | ||
Pole position | |||
Driver | Ferrari | ||
Time | 1:24.408 | ||
Fastest lap | |||
Driver | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | |
Time | 1:24.125 on lap 29 (lap record) | ||
Podium | |||
First | Ferrari | ||
Second | Ferrari | ||
Third | Renault | ||
Lap leaders |
This race marked the first time since the 2001 San Marino Grand Prix that cars competed without using fully-automatic gearboxes and launch control,[7][8][9] which were both banned by the FIA after the 2003 season.[10][11][12] The use of traction control was still permitted by the FIA, and would continue to be used over the next three seasons, until being banned for the 2008 season.[13]
This race also marked the 150th Grand Prix race for the McLaren and Mercedes engine partnership since 1995.