The 2004 Monaco Grand Prix was one of those races that had pretty much everything, including a brand new Formula 1 race winner.
It featured engine failures, crashes, safety cars, close battles and a true fight for victory, which was eventually won by Renault’s Jarno Trulli.
2004 was the year I began to obsess over F1 and I remember the race well. As a Jenson Button supporter at the time, it was disappointing. The Brit was also looking at a first F1 win but he just missed out by half a second. Painfully close.
Trulli was quick all weekend and put in a masterful lap in qualifying to take pole position, ahead of Button, Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher. Ralf Schumacher was second in qualifying but he picked up an engine change penalty.
Despite the relatively short run to the first corner, there was movement at the front as Button was passed by Alonso. The two Renault cars scampered off into the distance but that was quickly cut by a safety car.
Takuma Sato had moved from eighth to fourth at the start after a stunning launch from the grid but a dramatic engine failure on lap three caused chaos behind. Giancarlo Fisichella launched his Sauber over the slowing McLaren of David Coulthard and ended up flipped over alongside the barrier.
When the race resumed, Alonso took the fight to Trulli but the Italian driver defended strongly. Following the first round of pitstops, the two Renaults remained out front but Michael Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen had jumped to third and fourth for Ferrari and McLaren.
Raikkonen soon retired after more engine woes while Alonso quickly joined him on the sidelines after going off while trying to lap the Williams of Ralf Schumacher in the tunnel. It was a big impact and he was (rightfully) fuming. Everyone pitted under the safety car apart from Michael Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya.
However, the pair were involved in a bizarre incident when they collided in the tunnel while still under the safety car, despite Montoya being a lap down. Michael Schumacher was out and Trulli returned to the front of the field, with Button right on his gearbox.
The BAR Honda driver battled hard to try and find a way through but, as is the case at the Circuit de Monaco, overtaking was near impossible and he had to settle for second. Trulli crossed the line to win his first F1 race, with Button following him across the line and Rubens Barrichello picking up the pieces to finish third.
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| © Ferrari |
2004 was the year I began to obsess over F1 and I remember the race well. As a Jenson Button supporter at the time, it was disappointing. The Brit was also looking at a first F1 win but he just missed out by half a second. Painfully close.
Trulli was quick all weekend and put in a masterful lap in qualifying to take pole position, ahead of Button, Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher. Ralf Schumacher was second in qualifying but he picked up an engine change penalty.
Despite the relatively short run to the first corner, there was movement at the front as Button was passed by Alonso. The two Renault cars scampered off into the distance but that was quickly cut by a safety car.
Takuma Sato had moved from eighth to fourth at the start after a stunning launch from the grid but a dramatic engine failure on lap three caused chaos behind. Giancarlo Fisichella launched his Sauber over the slowing McLaren of David Coulthard and ended up flipped over alongside the barrier.
When the race resumed, Alonso took the fight to Trulli but the Italian driver defended strongly. Following the first round of pitstops, the two Renaults remained out front but Michael Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen had jumped to third and fourth for Ferrari and McLaren.
Raikkonen soon retired after more engine woes while Alonso quickly joined him on the sidelines after going off while trying to lap the Williams of Ralf Schumacher in the tunnel. It was a big impact and he was (rightfully) fuming. Everyone pitted under the safety car apart from Michael Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya.
The BAR Honda driver battled hard to try and find a way through but, as is the case at the Circuit de Monaco, overtaking was near impossible and he had to settle for second. Trulli crossed the line to win his first F1 race, with Button following him across the line and Rubens Barrichello picking up the pieces to finish third.
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