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On Wednesday, September 1, 2004 Scuderia Ferrari lands in Monza and prepares for the Grand Prix to be run on Sunday, September 12, 2004, a prelude to the celebration of the World Championship already won. The fans are already there. On Wednesday there are 5,000 of them following the tests that will involve all the Formula 1 teams until Friday, September 3, 2004. The first banners appear in the grandstands:
"Michael Schumacher seventh wonder of the world".
As well as one with a photo of the champion and an indecipherable text displayed by a group of Japanese fans. The Maranello team lines up its official drivers, the Schumacher-Barrichello pair. Their lap times are extraordinary: 1'20"194 set by the German, 0.8 seconds faster than the pole position of a year ago. It is the new unofficial track record. Barrichello is a little slower: 1'20"236. Their rivals have a one-second gap or more. During the lunch break, Michael Schumacher holds a press conference. After the second place in Belgium that handed him the seventh world championship of his career, the fifth in a row, and a place among the legends, he seems listless. Almost dissatisfied. And there is an immediate suspicion that he has achieved the impossible and is going to announce his retirement at the end of the season. Not even close.
“I am so sorry to disappoint those who thought so. I have fun, I win and I'll continue".
End of discussion. What he doesn't say, but hints at, is that he didn't like his result in Belgium.
"I expected to win".
Insatiable, cannibal, he is told everything by his rivals, but the meaning is unambiguous. The question is an old one, however, it always comes back at the end of the championship: where do you find the motivation to go on?
"The challenge, the competition, the commitment to beat my rivals are part of my nature. As long as I can do it, I keep going".
Have you ever thought about competing in other disciplines?
"No, I enjoy what I do. I'm having too much fun".
Yet after the Belgian Grand Prix you did not seem so cheerful.
"Every World Championship leaves different emotions. At the finish line I didn't really know what to think. Then in the motorhome I found a good atmosphere. Inside me, I was happy".
Is this your best season?
"I think so".
Is the extraordinary 2002 already achieved?
"There is a fundamental difference: in 2002 we realized after the first tests that we had an outstanding single-seater. This year we didn't have the same feeling. The first performances on the track were similar to those of the competition. Only after the Imola tests, for the first time on the track together with our rivals, did we realize that we were much faster than we expected. A lot of times things do not go as expected. At Spa, for example, I was convinced I was going to finish first".
Would you have succeeded without the safety car?
"It is possible. My problem was keeping the tyres up to temperature. In a normal race Raikkonen would never have been able to overtake me. Montoya, on the other hand, surprised me with his maneuver".
A German newspaper has published photos of your 82 Formula 1 victories: does it make a certain kind of impression on you when you see them all together?
"Even in Jean Todt's office there are pictures of all Ferrari's successes hanging there. Since I hang out with him a lot, I have a pretty good idea. But I like to focus on new challenges. During retirement I will have plenty of time to look back".
Will your approach to upcoming races change?
"I will be free of pressure and drive for the fun of it, concentrating on each race, without tactics".
Will you help Barrichello retain second place?
"Rubens does not need it, but if there is a need and a chance, he can count on my cooperation".
Your brother Ralf?
"He called me on Sunday night to congratulate me. He can't wait to get back on track. Unfortunately, he will have to skip Monza".
On Thursday, September 2, 2004, 5:00 p.m., last kilometers of testing for Ferrari at the Monza circuit, the fastest in Formula 1. Michael Schumacher drives down the straight that leads into the parabolic curve. Full throttle, around 350 km/h of speed, the engine revving above 18,000 rpm. Suddenly the left rear tyre sags and the car goes crazy, swerves to the right, runs over the panel indicating 150 meters, begins a series of spins and ends its race against the protective barriers. In the pits there are moments of terror. The driver does not communicate anything by radio. He detaches the steering wheel as per regulation and emerges with his strength from the cockpit, miraculously unharmed though stunned. Rescue men reach him within seconds, convincing him to lie down on the grass for a quick check of his vital functions. Michael Schumacher is fine and, after the medical formalities, he gets up, gets on the service car and returns to the pits. There he stays for an hour and a half, spent partly analyzing with Bridgestone technicians the cause of the puncture. Eventually, having taken off his red overalls and put on a peach-colored t-shirt and a pair of jeans, the German goes out with his dog on a leash and lets him play with a ball for a while. He then goes to greet Rubens Barrichello, who is busy signing autographs.
The two shake hands and hug amid the applause of the fans. End of practice day. Test driver Luca Badoer will take to the track on Friday.
"We had decided this before the accident. The official drivers have completed their work. The causes of the accident? We are investigating".
But it is a safety alert: Coulthard, Button and Montoya all suffered punctures at Spa. The best time of the day was that of Antonio Pizzonia, the Brazilian test driver for Willams, who replaces Ralf Schumacher: 1'20"027, the unofficial track record. Injured in Indianapolis, Ralf Schumacher cannot return to Monza because of an insurance problem: the technical healing time for microfractures of the vertebrae is twelve weeks, and eleven weeks have now passed. The German driver would be able to take part in the Italian Grand Prix, but not in testing. And Frank Williams is adamant:
"No test, no race".
On the day, Kimi Raikkonen is in second place with a lap time of 1'20"778, followed by Rubens Barrichello with a time of 1'20"862. Michael Schumacher sets a time of 1'21"055. However, the Maranello team men say that they are satisfied:
"Our performance is more consistent".
Meanwhile, the doors of Formula 1 are opening for Vitantonio Liuzzi, fresh winner of the Formula 3000 championship. The Italian driver has been invited by Sauber to do a test. The appointment is set for Thursday, September 16, 2004, at the Spanish track of Jerez de la Frontera. Sauber has to replace Giancarlo Fisichella, who will move to Renault in 2005. If Michael Schumacher and Scuderia Ferrari call the fans to Monza to celebrate the World Championship, Williams-Bmw and BAR-Honda continue to dispute for Jenson Button. The matter is expected to be settled in late September. The British driver, whose contract with BAR would have expired at the end of this championship, agreed with Williams for 2005, but BAR objected, demanding compliance with a clause that would automatically renew the agreement for one season. The case was brought before the CRB, the FIA's Contract Recognition Board. A Williams spokesman explains:
"It took some time for all the files to be submitted because there was first an attempt at mediation between the parties, which failed. A hearing at CRB will be held in the next two weeks. If the commission finds the case within its jurisdiction, we will wait for the response and accept it calmly".
On the Ferrari front, Michael Schumacher hopes to replicate in Monza, in front of the Italian public, the show held on Sunday, September 5, 2004, at the Nurburgring circuit, where he performed with the 2003 single-seater, as well as with a Ferrari 575 Gtc and a Maserati Mc 12, just to show that the crash taken in testing has left no trace.
"The fans are always with us, so we want to give them a good reason to celebrate in a big way. Winning in Monza will not be easy, as we saw in testing. The other teams are close, however, it is our home race and we are highly motivated".
By now it is established that Thursday's accident was caused by a tyre problem, probably a puncture.
"It is important to analyze the cause. In any case, I didn't suffer any injuries, and that's why I'm not sitting there dwelling on it too much. I'm fine and unscathed. It was fortunate that there were no consequences. Compared to what happened, it went well".
Schumacher's exit from the track did not change Ferrari's approach to the Italian Grand Prix.
"I will keep running as long as I am well and can maintain this performance. Clearly there are some parts of the body that over the years no longer work 100 percent. But this does not cause me any limitations whatsoever. Physically I am perhaps one of the drivers who do the most to stay fit, and I think it shows".
Michael Schumacher also reveals that the most touching and liberating memory of his career is connected to the Monza track itself. In particular, at the end of the weekend of the 2000 edition, when he won the race after special and mixed feelings:
"Winning in 2000 was a great relief after all the pressure that had built up. And then there were other things: the death of a track marshal, the memory of Senna… Or bad news that concerned my private life. Yes, if I had to choose, maybe I would say 2000".
It will be Ferrari's party, and Monza is preparing for the invasion of fans who, on the occasion of the Italian Grand Prix, will celebrate Sunday, September 12, 2004, the two World Championships won by the Maranello team and Michael Schumacher. 22 special free trains will connect Milan's Central Station with the racetrack, and more than a thousand men including Police, Carabinieri and Guardia di Finanza from Friday, September 10, 2004 (when practice will begin) will watch over public order. Special controls are in place to prevent - as has happened in recent years - those without tickets from trying to reach the Park's 3,500-site campsite. The medical staff on duty at the facility will consist of 200 people, who will run the 24-hour Medical Center until Sunday night. Stars of this grand announced kermesse will obviously be the cars and drivers of the Maranello team. On Wednesday, September 8, 2004, Scuderia Ferrari announces a three-year licensing agreement with Puma for the production and marketing of the team's collection-replica uniforms and a line of sportswear and footwear. The German company will also become the official supplier of the team and the Ferrari Challenge from January 2005. Jean Todt says:
"We believe that both companies have a promising future, as they both work hard on product innovation, new design lines and have a global presence. We have the same values: we are aggressive and innovative".
On Thursday, September 9, 2004 Michael Schumacher shows up at Monza with his cap. World Champion is written on the visor. There is nothing to object to, since he has been the world champion since 2000. But seven golden stars are sewn next to it: seven like the championships he has won, including the 2004 one that is still not official, as Formula 1 patron Bernie Ecclestone warns:
"The title is awarded at the last race".
Michael Schumacher answers:
“I don't know what Ecclestone said. Given the points I have and what the newspapers have written, I feel like I'm the champion".
And as each driver, when he takes off his helmet, is free to wear whatever he wants on his head, the business begins: the German driver's new cap is on sale for 25 euros on the stands that populate the racetrack and its surroundings. The organizers of the Italian Grand Prix, the fifteenth race of the season, are expecting 110.000 paying spectators, to which, as is tradition, several thousand non-ticket holders will be added. Has Ferrari already won the world championship?
"Well, then come and enjoy the party. You will witness the fastest race in Formula 1 history".
Top speeds close to 380 km/h are expected. The estimate is based on the 2003 record of 368 km/h set by Michael Schumacher on the grandstand straight. In the current season, performance has improved by a couple of seconds per lap, while from next year new rules will slow down the single-seaters. Thus, this will be the race of records. It is the evolution of tyres that has triggered the performance escalation. Increasingly sophisticated compounds that are soft and adherent to the asphalt, as well as ultra-light carcasses: this is the challenge that Bridgestone and Michelin have taken to the extreme. So extreme, in fact, that these tyres have a far from negligible flaw: they burst with alarming frequency. It happened to three drivers in Belgium, it happened to Michael Schumacher in Monza during testing. After each crash, carbon debris ends up on the asphalt, puncturing other tyres. The German driver, who as a representative of the drivers' association is concerned with safety, argues:
"It's part of the game. We will still discuss it with the Federation, and not in public. I didn't risk my life and I continue to enjoy the work I do. It is difficult for the world to understand, but for me it is very easy".
Some suggest the abolition of the safety car and the reintroduction of a race suspension in order to clean the track.
"A quick decision can bring unforeseen consequences. I know from experience that hasty solutions bring more harm than good. And I will not suggest anything that has not been pondered for a long time".
One last statement is about the championship: some people call it the most boring ever.
"There are people who see the positive aspects and people who catch the negative ones".
Schumacher replies:
"I had a good time".
Jarno Trulli, long hair and unkempt beard, also speaks for the drivers' association. And he, too, is fatalistic:
"Monza is like that, very high speeds and risks in proportion. Either you don't race or you accept the danger, there is no alternative. The problem is that we drive prototypes that come from extreme research".
The Renault driver explains the risks of the Italian Grand Prix:
"At extreme speeds, a tyre tends to tighten and rise. If it gets too tight, it blows out".
That is, it tears and comes off the rim.
"Of course, on a slow track like the Hungaroring it doesn't happen, but at Monza or Spa it does".
Then he talks about his new married life:
"Barbara waits for me at home because she doesn't like racing. When it goes wrong, like recently, she already knows she has to leave me alone".
He has never felt Italian: he has not learned the language, lives in Switzerland, and spends his vacations in Norway or the United States. But after nine years, even Michael Schumacher, hard-core German, is beginning to feel a small sense of belonging. On Friday, September 10, 2004, at Monza, in the first two free practice sessions, the German driver wears a tricolor helmet: red around the visor, then white and green.
"This is my way of saying thank you to the fans. They have always been there for us throughout my time at Ferrari, in good times and bad ones. Now we will try to give them victory as well".
Only one other time has Michael Schumacher dedicated his helmet to a nation: in 2002 at Monza, when he had a U.S. flag drawn in memory of the victims of 9/11. Michael Schumacher arrived at Maranello in 1996. After winning two consecutive World Championships with Benetton he had chosen the Italian team, which was going through a difficult period at the time. The rest is history: a season of transition; three championships lost at the last race and five won. Today he is 35 years old and has the same reflexes. He gets excited when he passes at over 350 km/h in front of the grandstands where the flags of the Maranello team are waving.
"But we've already experienced a first taste last week during testing".
He is unemotional as he recounts for the umpteenth time the terrible accident:
"Can't you see I'm fine? When I pass that spot again I don't feel any particular sensation, because a puncture can happen in any part of the circuit".
He still thinks about winning:
"It was and always remains our goal".
And to have Rubens Barrichello win:
"We are a team and our fans want a Ferrari win, no matter if it's mine or Rubens'".
He fears McLaren:
"It is strong, it will be close and will make life difficult for us, I foresee a hard-fought challenge".
And he makes a dig at Williams:
"Does the Bmw engine really have 950 horsepower? Ours is new and goes faster than theirs".
The day's chronicle is that of a quiet Formula Ferrari weekend. Michael Schumacher takes to the track: the first lap is used to warm up the tyres, the second is already faster than the 2003 pole position: 1'20"526 versus 1'20"963. In the afternoon, the best time is set by Kimi Raikkonen in the McLaren, 1'20"846, still slower than the German. Comparing the two sessions, the third best overall performance is by Rubens Barrichello:
"I am chasing the first win of 2004, but if I really had to choose one I would prefer Brazil. I have never won at Interlagos, but I did it here in 2002. Seeing the fans from the podium was an incredible emotion".
They are followed by the BAR-Hondas of test driver Anthony Davidson and Jenson Button and the Williams-Bmw of Antonio Pizzonia, who replaces the injured Ralf Schumacher for the last time. The Brazilian is the protagonist of an off-track: at first, it is feared that another tyre has failed. But later the driver explains that he had a mechanical problem. Jarno Trulli is tenth at the wheel of the Renault, with which he is experiencing a difficult end to the season as he will leave the team; Giancarlo Fisichella is fifteenth, Giorgio Pantano twenty-first, Gianmaria Bruni twenty-fourth. But they are not the guests of honor at the celebration of the Italian Grand Prix. Monza will crown Ferrari and Michael Schumacher, who are already World Champions with four races to go. Champagne and giant cakes will bless the most successful season in the history of the Maranello team. Meanwhile, FIA president Max Mosley is not abandoning his ideas: he wants to change the regulations to improve safety, reduce costs and increase the spectacle of Formula 1 by making racing more uncertain and hard-fought. But he finds resistance from the manufacturers. The introduction of new rules would require the unanimous agreement of the competitors, but there is no agreement between them. A deadline had been set for Monday, September 6, 2004, to make counter proposals to the directions fomented by the Federation for months now. On Friday, September 10, 2004, Max Mosley admits that he is forced to wait longer. And he sets the deadline for Thursday, October 21, 2004, leaving another 45 days to find suitable technical solutions. Otherwise he will be forced to impose the previously announced rules. For the 2005 World Championship, this means reducing the impact of aerodynamics on car performance, using one engine for two races and having three sets of tyres available for each single-seater during a race weekend.
"I’ve submitted three proposals. One more rigid, one medium and one elastic. It seems to me that the technical managers of the teams are leaning toward the middle one. They have one and a half more months to find unanimity and possibly ask for corrections. After that it will be too late to change, and I will be forced, in case an agreement is not reached, to impose our ideas. And in this case they will certainly not be the softer ones, but the average ones that seem reasonable to us for everyone".
The president of the federation makes it known that he has also been forced to revise plans regarding the engines for 2006 (8 cylinders, 2400 cc). They were supposed to be basically all the same in weight, shape and size and made without using special materials. But two car companies, assuming they would have to follow these rules, reportedly threatened to quit Formula 1. With this prospect in two years' time, powertrains with the imposed characteristics regarding displacement and number of cylinders, but with the possibility of choosing different architectures, should be mounted on the cars. However, these are difficult and complicated talks. Better to wait for official decisions to be made. The Federation and the teams, however, must be careful: if they get it wrong, the future of Formula 1 could be inexorably compromised. On Saturday, September 11, 2004, Rubens Barrichello also manages to carve out a little place for himself in Formula 1 history: the fastest pole position is his, with an average speed of 260.395 km/h. The record will stick with him for several years, as from 2005 Formula 1 will introduce new rules to reduce performance. Stifled by the triumphs of the strongest teammate he could get, poor Rubinho lives of epic, episodic days. Like this one, in Monza. A perfect lap, the goal of every driver in qualifying: 5793 meters, where he pushed to the limit of physical laws.
"It's true, I didn't do anything wrong. I have never got the Lesmo corners so fast. And even at Ascari, which is a difficult chicane, I was flawless".
For him it is the eleventh pole of his career (the second of the season after Indianapolis), for the Maranello team the seventeenth at Monza, the ninth of the year and number 175 ever. Bravo to Rubens Barrichello, then. This season he has scored many points and done few good races. He occupies second place in the overall standings without having won a single race. This is his chance: he can draw on himself the spotlight of the big party that Monza has prepared for the World Champion Ferrari, to prove that he is the best number two and to bring Michael Schumacher closer, detaching Jenson Button and the other pursuers. His lap time was extraordinary: 1'20"089, a new record at the autodrome, 0.5 seconds ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya and Michael Schumacher himself. On Friday he claimed that the pole would be played on the edge of thousandths of a second.
"The engine is fine, the car is tuned to perfection, Bridgestone has provided us with great tyres. The driver is also in good shape. I like Monza, I can feel the enthusiasm of the fans, which gives me a boost. There will be a lot of them coming, and we certainly can't disappoint them now after all we have done".
There is the unknown of weather conditions.
"It doesn't matter. We have studied a compromise in case of rain".
Happy him, unhappy Michael Schumacher, who has become so used to winning that a third place in qualifying is hard to swallow. The German talks about mistakes, complaining for once about the single-seater set-up:
"I had a problem in the morning free practice and didn't have time to solve it completely. Then I made a mistake in the last corner. I went too wide and the car understeered, so I delayed acceleration. I thought I lost a lot of positions, so in the end I'm satisfied with third place".
Without the mistake would he have been in pole position?
"To be honest, I don't think so".
It is easy to predict a Ferrari victory. Juan Pablo Montoya is second but Williams' starting system is far from flawless. The Renault is lightning fast at the start, however, Fernando Alonso, fourth, starts on the dirty side of the track. The two Maranello cars could take the lead as early as the first corner. And stay there until the end, battling to win. Rubens Barrichello doesn't trust his rivals.
"With one eye I will check the Williams and with the other the Renault. But one thing is certain: our starting system on this track works perfectly".
Very fast in pre-qualifying (1'19"525, unofficial track record), Juan Pablo Montoya claims that Ferrari was hiding. Michael Schumacher answers:
"It only matters what happens in qualifying and then in the race".
The Italian drivers performed badly. Only one makes the top ten, Jarno Trulli, who continues to complain about the car and suspecting that Renault treats Fernando Alonso better. Giancarlo Fisichella occupies fifteenth place on the grid, which for an ambitious driver and a team like Sauber that uses Ferrari engines and a science fiction wind tunnel is not exactly a result to remember. The other two drivers, in addition to occupying the last rows because they drive bad cars, are behind their respective teammates: Giorgio Pantano sets the 18th fastest time. He gains one position, however, as Nick Heidfeld has replaced his engine and will be relegated to last place, which otherwise would have been occupied by Gianmaria Bruni's Minardi. Clear sea, Jarno Trulli and Fernando Alonso play volleyball in the water, do somersaults in the sand, laugh next to Briatore. The photographs hang in Renault's motorhome, taken during a vacation at patron Flavio's villa in Kenya. It is the carefree, young and happy image that Renault has emanated since its return to Formula 1 in 2002. The love ended. And it ended badly, too. Jarno Trulli tries to hold back, but then exclaims:
"Some people would like me to leave, but I am stubborn. You will see how I am going to drive".
For six or seven races, that is, since the negotiation for the renewal of his contract fell through, he claims that he has always been beaten by his teammate. But what if Flavio Briatore, who sees the Spaniard as Michael Schumacher's first successor, is right?
"Sure, he is the Renault driver now. As long as we drove on a level playing field, we had fun".
Understood: now Jarno Trulli's car is slower than his. As it happened at Spa: great pace until the second pit stop, then suddenly the Italian driver's Renault began to lose two seconds per lap. Yet in the telemetry there was no trace of technical issues. A mystery.
"Someone claims that I am no longer there with my head. This is false. I drove very well today, I took huge risks. For seven years now, no teammate has ever managed to stay ahead of me in qualifying on this circuit. I have always been strong here, and instead I have been taking half a second a lap for two weeks. Briatore claims that I have changed, that I no longer believe in the car. When things are going well it's thanks to the car, when they go wrong it's the driver who doesn't believe in it. The truth is that someone wants to reach a breakup before the end of the season".
Flavio Briatore's answer is:
"I propose an intelligence test. If our goal is to finish second in the Constructors' World Championship standings, is it easier to achieve this with one or two single-seaters? Jarno is paid to race with us for the whole season. No one wants to send him off prematurely".
On the contrary, after a hard season, the Maranello team lives a moment of joy and relaxation. Only from the outside do Ferrari's results seem to be achieved with extreme ease. Instead once again in Maranello there was suffering, there was no certainty in February, when the new single-seater was presented, and above all it was difficult to think of repeating themselves again, after so many triumphant seasons. It was another magical year, it is no coincidence that with four races to go before the end of the World Championship Ferrari can already celebrate, facing the last races with unchanged will to win, but with less pressure. And meanwhile, Ferrari looks to the future: not only to 2004, but far beyond. On the one hand, the intention is to continue on the road taken since 1999 (eleven consecutive titles between Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships), on the other hand the growing concern for a Formula 1 that needs to renew itself, change and redistribute its income. The crisis is there, it cannot be hidden, it must be faced firmly. Luca Montezemolo has no doubts, the time for action has come. President, what are the two sides of the coin?
"First of all, the brightest one. We dedicate everything to the fans. The two world titles and also Rubens Barrichello's pole position. An outstanding lap, his. It was not easy, which is why I am very happy. Montoya? He can be dangerous in certain situations. I hope he remembers at the start that the race is long. I like our cars to start at the front, but I have to admit that I like pole positions after crossing the finish line".
Let's take a look at the dark side. What are the problems?
"All chickens come home to roost. So Formula 1 can no longer move forward. We have always agreed with the Federation when it comes to talking about safety and changing technical or sporting rules if necessary. But the economic management of the sport is no longer acceptable. There is no way that the protagonists, that is, the teams, should share only 47 percent of the revenue from television rights, taking all the expenses. Making 100 the value of the receipts, the teams get just ten percent. The rest ends up in the hands of those who administer the championship, pocketing the proceeds from advertising at the circuits, the huge sums spent by the organizers, ticket sales for races, and the various lucrative promotional formulas. This way you don't move forward".
Wasn't there an agreement in principle between the Manufacturers, the banks that hold 75 percent of the management company's shares and Ecclestone's Bambino Trust that has the rest?
"We have been discussing this for three years. No acceptable solution has been reached. Everything stalled in the spring and there is no prospect of an agreement. Our contracts will expire in 2007. At that point, if this absurd situation cannot be changed, everyone will have to think about what to do. Ferrari as well. Personally, this is my duty as president of the Maranello company and Fiat".
Does it mean that Ferrari might leave Formula 1?
"I didn't say that. Racing is in our blood. We have always wanted to compete because of the technological innovation that we then transfer to our road models and because Ferrari does not advertise. The name runs with racing. But now it is getting ridiculous. From 2008 onward everyone will be free to make their own choices".
Meanwhile, unanimity is lacking for next year's rules.
"Ferrari is open to considering them. It may be in our interest to decide to change little or nothing, since we are currently winning. Faced with the safety issue, we are willing to change the cars, to accept new rules. But, I repeat, we want to have a re-discussion on the distribution of revenues. Because the Manufacturers engaged in Formula 1 can no longer be unpaid players in a sport they keep up by their own means. If a solution to this vital problem is not reached as soon as possible, some teams might disappear. And then it will be too late".
After the outburst, Montezemolo finds a yellow and white Mini Cooper with the Maranello team's design in front of Ferrari's motorhome, given to him as a surprise gift by the president of Bmw. Embarrassing. And perhaps also tacky, since the recipient of the gift is an enthusiastic ambassador of made in Italy. Luca Montezemolo does not like it and says ironically:
"For marketing reasons, Bmw gave me a yellow Mini Cooper. When in 100 years they win like us, I will be happy to give them a fantastic Panda. Red".
When the rain starts to fall on Sunday morning, it seems that the race will not be as easy as it seemed before. Should the drivers start on dry or intermediate tyres? The majority of drivers opt for the first choice, but Minardi, Sauber, McLaren and Ferrari decide to put one driver on dry tyres and one on intermediates. David Coulthard changes his mind as he runs the formation lap and pits before the start, while Rubens Barrichello, Felipe Massa and Gianmaria Bruni decide to start the race on intermediate tyres. At the start of the Italian Grand Prix Rubens Barrichello holds the first position, while most of the drivers struggle to keep up on dry tyres. Michael Schumacher hits Jenson Button's car at the first corner and spins out, while Oliver Panis hits Antonio Pizzonia's Williams. The Frenchman is forced to retire, while Antonio Pizzonia and Michael Schumacher manage to continue the race at the back of the pack. At the end of the first lap Rubens Barrichello has an incredible 6.9-second lead over Fernando Alonso, who started fourth with his Renault, and Juan Pablo Montoya. They are followed by Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa, who takes full advantage of the grip granted by the intermediate tyres to recover several positions.
Gianmaria Bruni also starts well, going from 19th on the grid to 10th place. But as soon as the intermediate racers show their clear advantage, it begins to diminish as the track dries quickly. At the end of the fifth lap, Fernando Alonso catches up and overtakes Rubens Barrichello. The Brazilian therefore decides to stop in the pits to fit dry tyres and refuel. On lap 11 Fernando Alonso also refuels, handing the lead to Jenson Button's BAR-Honda. Kimi Raikkonen retires on lap 13 due to an engine failure. With the first stint and refueling over, Jenson Button finds himself in first position. However, Jenson Button underestimates the speed of the Ferraris. Rubens Barrichello is proceeding with a different strategy and drives his car to the maximum. And even Michael Schumacher himself starts his comeback from the back of the pack. Jenson Button proceeds at a pace that is not fast enough to contain the comeback of the Maranello team cars and drivers. By the time the British driver realizes that the Brazilian driver is catching up quickly, it is too late. Jenson Button cedes the first position to Rubens Barrichello at the end of his last stop, and when the Brazilian pits he remains ahead of the British driver.
Adding insult to injury, Michael Schumacher manages to pass the British driver's BAR-Honda on the same lap, putting the Ferraris in first and second place. Rubens Barrichello wins the Italian Grand Prix, ahead of Michael Schumacher at the finish line. Jenson Button is third, while his teammate, Takuma Sato is fourth. Juan Pablo Montoya, David Coulthard, Antonio Pizzonia and Giancarlo Fisichella follow. Rubens Barrichello is a driver without half measures. He spends months grumbling about mistakes and misfortunes, then wakes up and invents the unbelievable. At Monza, the Brazilian pressed his luck and even risked paying dearly for it: first by making the wrong choice of tyres at the start; rain tyres, despite the sun was quickly drying the track. Then delaying the pit stop by one lap to make up for it. But, indeed, it was his day. The Italian Grand Prix is his as it was in 2002: first win of the season, the eighth of his career. Eight are also the year's one-two wins, 23 paired with Schumacher, 69 in total for Scuderia Ferrari. Barrichello-day begins with a rocket start. The reason is simple: the asphalt is wet and the rain tyres quickly reach the ideal working temperature. The trick lasts three laps, then the other drivers, equipped with dry tyres, catch up. Mandatory stops to make up for it. The pole position effect over, Rubinho restarts from ninth position. With Michael Schumacher also having problems of his own, spinning out and finishing fifteenth, it was clear that for once Ferrari needed to push rather than just control their opponents. The feat succeeds with extraordinary ease. Credit to the drivers (who do not lose their heads for a moment), the car and the tyres. As in a video game, the two make up position after position. It is no longer a matter of simple strategies.
After the initial chaos - the first five laps were a disaster, will confess technical director Ross Brawn, usually measured in his words - the men in the pits get the moves and timing right, however, this time great skill is required of those behind the wheel. With the exception of Kimi Raikkonen, who stops before his engine explodes, and Fernando Alonso, who makes a mistake at the second chicane, the other top drivers are all in the race and are being passed one by one, until the parade finishes. Rubinho wins the fastest pole position in Formula 1, the fastest lap in the race, 1'21"046, the victory in the Italian Grand Prix. This, in the jargon, is called a hat trick. In his career he has won only at Silverstone in 2003, another famous Barrichello-day. There is also a record for Antonio Pizzonia: 369.9 km/h of top speed at the end of the grandstands straight. The previous record belonged to Michael Schumacher, who set it at the same point at 368.8 km/h. The difference was that Pizzonia had to settle for seventh place, because in Formula 1 traction, braking and road holding matter more than pure speed. In the championship of the others, BAR-Honda was strong: Jenson Button and Takuma Sato won 11 points worth overtaking Renault in the Constructors' World Championship standings. Behind Ferrari (234 points, the overall record under the current scoring system), David Richards' team rises to 94, while Renault remains with 91 points. Zero points in Italy, zero in Belgium. Tension rises in the French team. Jarno Trulli continues to complain about the performance of his single-seater, but as a professional he says he is sorry for the overtaking suffered by the team:
"Besides Alonso's, my points were missed here in Monza. The problem is that we have big grip problems. I would like to solve them and leave the team with second place among the constructors".
A bitter answer from boss Flavio Briatore:
"Alonso had a great race, but it is difficult to race with one car".
A different atmosphere prevails at BAR, where Jenson Button smiles and says:
"I dedicate the podium to my grandfather in hospital. The Ferraris? And who sees them? They are unreachable. As Rubens was coming out of the pits, they shouted at me on the radio: be careful. I thought they were warning me about Michael coming up behind and I got a little confused. After a second I had them both in front of me. There is nothing you can do against them".
It is a nasty shock for Scuderia Ferrari's rivals. In the race where at first everything seemed to go wrong for Rubens Barrichello and Michael Schumacher, the F2004s and the Maranello team showed their true potential. Huge. Apart from the victory, without imposing their one-two on the others, it is the chronometric data that are impressive: the Brazilian set the new absolute lap record at Monza, at an average speed of 257.320 km/h, but above all what is surprising are the gaps inflicted even on the fastest drivers. Antonio Pizzonia, third fastest in the Williams, is 1.2 seconds slower, Giancarlo Fisichella in the Sauber is at 1.569 seconds, Takuma Sato is at 1.614 seconds, David Coulthard and Juan Pablo Montoya are at more than 1.8 seconds. On a track as long and fast as the Monza circuit, those are abysmal margins. After winning his seventh World Championship in Belgium, Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello had said:
"We no longer have to do maths, now we are free to have fun".
They did. Comebacks, overtaking and chases characterized the Italian Grand Prix and the Maranello team's race. Faced with a result that seemed unreachable after the first laps, fans and commentators remain dumbfounded. Even in the press room. A few cheers from the South Americans, with the British, French and Japanese cold as ice. They were hoping for a statement from Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso or Takuma Sato. Disappointed, as has been the case for years, with very rare exceptions. Ferrari not only is super competitive, but also queen of reliability. As is not the case with McLaren-Mercedes, where poor Kimi Raikkonen had to retire in the early stages of the race due to a water leak that made the engine fail. For the Finn it is the eighth retirement of the season out of fifteen races. An average of more than 50 percent. Of the opponents only BAR-Honda seems to have retained some competitiveness, thanks mainly to Jenson Button, who, however, next year has chosen to move to Williams, assuming that he will be able to do it: it will end up in court, unless a commercial agreement that satisfies everyone is found. The Honda leaders, however, claim that the Englishman will have to drive the car powered by them in 2005 as well. The fact remains that BAR has overtaken Renault in the Constructors' World Championship standings, reaching second place behind Scuderia Ferrari. McLaren continues to lose competitiveness, Williams is little more than an extra, and the French team headed by Flavio Briatore can no longer get results. Fernando Alonso, forced to push to the limit, makes mistakes.
Jarno Trulli complains about a car that does not stay on the track, and after being a major player in the first part of the championship, he now finds himself five races out of the points, for various reasons. Is it a coincidence that this has been happening since he announced that he will leave the team? There are three races to go: China, Japan and Brazil. Ferrari has shown that they will not make concessions. So they will aim for more success. At the same time they are working with Rory Byrne and the other designers on the 2005 single-seater. The rules are not yet fully defined, but they can already work on aerodynamics and mechanics. The question of engines remains to be defined; although they will have to last for two race weekends, they will not change much. It is likely that solutions in the sign of continuity are being studied in Maranello. No revolution. Williams and McLaren, instead, will be forced to change a lot more, given the fact that they have already rebuilt their cars mid-season. In its own small way, thanks to the Ferrari engine and the new wind tunnel, Sauber has broken its own points record and is therefore on the rise. Jaguar and Toyota remain mysterious objects, especially the Japanese team, which has great means available. Jordan and Minardi cannot be judged: it is already a miracle that they are still there.
"I waited a long time to return to the top step of the podium. I was rewarded: here, in front of these people, with the warmth of the fans who turned the circuit into a piece of Brazil thanks to their enthusiasm, it was even better. I send a kiss to everyone".
If the heart of Rubens Barrichello, at the award ceremony and then among journalists, cameramen, photographers and fans, did not burst with happiness, it is only because he is a strong guy, used to suffering. He may not have the consistency of Michael Schumacher, but every now and then he finds special days, like a true champion. A race, his as well as Michael Schumacher's, was extraordinary: started uphill, ended in triumph.
"It was tough. Finally a great pole position and a great victory. I worked hard, overcame even difficult moments. I like to see Michael cross the finish line first. This year, though, we were 12-0. With the same car, a Ferrari. I was helped by an outstanding team. And I thank Ross Brawn, who was able to change the race strategy on the fly".
A change dictated by circumstances.
"Yes, because I had chosen intermediate tyres. The track at the start was very wet, it would have been a risk to start on dry tyres, as most of our competitors did, including Schumacher. I was starting on pole, I didn't know in which corner I would find water, I preferred to be cautious. And I was stunned when, after the first lap, I knew I had almost a seven-second lead. At that point, however, we made a small mistake. With the asphalt drying out, I should have stopped earlier, so I would have had a bigger lead. After the pit stop I was ninth, a little discouraged knowing that I would have to pit two more times. I gritted my teeth and pushed hard. My victories always require some expenditure of energy. It's worth it".
The end of the race was amazing:
"When they said to me that I was fourth, I thought: having started on the pole position means I'm the fastest. Then I believed I could really win. At a certain point, however, I didn't understand anything about my position anymore. I was yelling on the radio: where am I, where am I? There was an audio blackout, however as I was facing Ascari I heard a voice saying: you are first! At the same time I noticed the fans celebrating along the circuit. Then I understood everything. Then, with a few laps to go, I saw in the rearview mirrors that Michael was coming, but by then I was sure I was going to make it".
Michael Schumacher, however, was also satisfied at that moment.
"Apart from the fact that maybe I could have caught up with Rubens but not overtaken him because our cars had similar performance. I was so happy that all I thought about was crossing the finish line. On the first lap I was afraid I was lost. With dry tyres on the wet track I felt like I was driving on ice. I went long at the chicane. I let Montoya pass, who was smart, and reduced my speed. In the next chicane I touched Button's BAR with a front wheel, so I spun. It was the worst moment of the day: I was able to restart, but I had to let a lot of rivals through and ended up 15th".
Lost race altogether?
"The Ferrari was great as soon as everything went back to normal. I was able to force it to the maximum. I had fun: overtaking and making a comeback. I was in the middle of the pack, involved in a great battle. For me, a second place obtained like that is worth a victory. Also, if Rubens is happy, I am happy for him. He did great, he deserved it".
For Ferrari it is the most beautiful victory of the season. The euphoria of President Luca Montezemolo, who as always did not see the race from the pits, was out of control:
"It's been many years and every time I say this is the most beautiful race. Today was something incredible: amazing drivers, and I'm especially happy for Barrichello's victory. The team, just like the cars and the tyres is amazing. After the first few laps, I never imagined that we would finish first and second. It shows how difficult it is to win in Formula 1".
Sports director Stefano Domenicali adds:
"We never give up, we knew the conditions were there to recover, but it was hard to believe that we would have done it in this way with Barrichello".
Technical manager Ross Brawn is enthusiastic, too:
"It couldn't have gone any better. After six laps the race was a disaster. And we got an incredible one-two".
Great enthusiasm also for Gabriele Delli Colli, Rubens Barrichello's car engineer. Thirty-eight years old, passionate about motorcycles, experience at Alfa Romeo, Minardi, Sauber and Jordan:
"I'm from Varese, I consider Monza my home track. A more beautiful thing could not have happened to me. We have been waiting for this joy for a long time. It came at the right time".
Meanwhile, Jean Todt exclaims:
"Did you see the excitement at Monza? Did you see that exciting race? Here is another proof that Formula 1 cannot do without Ferrari".
On the celebration day, Scuderia Ferrari's general manager returns to a sensitive topic: the tug-of-war between the manufacturers and the owners of Formula 1 rights, namely a group of banks and Bernie Ecclestone.
"Negotiations are ongoing, I don't want to comment further".
On the eve of the Italian Grand Prix dominated by Rubens Barrichello and Michael Schumacher, Fiat chairman Luca Montezemolo had delivered a strong message:
"An era is over. Either they increase the income of the protagonists or we organize another World Championship".
No, Formula 1 cannot do without the Maranello team: the race was watched on television by 10,600,000 viewers. The two Ferraris put on a show, preparing a race with a series of mistakes in the initial part and making up for them with a spectacular comeback.
"We witnessed an incredible show, because Ferrari showed all its determination, its ability to never give up. Rubens decided to start on wet tyres, Michael preferred dry tyres. In the end both choices turned out to be right".
Without the spin, however, Schumacher would have finished first.
"I'm glad that Rubens won: thirteen wins to zero sounds worse than twelve to one".
Rubens Barrichello said, however, that it would have been better to pit for dry tyres at least one lap earlier.
"It's easy to think about it at the end of the race. In the race the pace is intense and decisions have to be made very quickly. It was nice to celebrate in front of the Italian public and in front of the Ferrari employees who had their grandstand there. Despite the bad weather, people came to the racetrack, they showed us gratitude for what we have achieved this year, they celebrated us for the 701 Grands Prix we have raced".
The origins of success, in Jean Todt's opinion, are a mix of technology and men, of work and organization.
"We have two fantastic drivers, an extraordinary team, two reliable cars and, here at Monza, above all tyres, Bridgestone, which was the most important factor in the one-two feat. Giancarlo Fisichella's fourth best time with Sauber confirms the superiority of our tyres. In a race that is normally run on two stops, the consistency of performance helped us".
The most exhilarating moment?
"Barrichello's exit from the pits after the third stop right at the moment when the cameras were framing Schumacher overtaking Button. It was an extraordinary sequence. I talked about it with my director friend Luc Besson. He agreed with me".
During the race, however, there were moments of terror when three liters of fuel were enough to develop flames a couple of meters high that enveloped the Minardi with poor Gianmaria Bruni on board. It is the chronicle of a dramatic pit stop that ended with the driver unable to breathe and, panicked, unable to find the button that releases the six seat belts.
"These things happen. With the fire out, for us Gimmi could have restarted".
It was a technical problem that cried havoc. According to the team's opinion, Gianmaria Bruni positioned himself too far forward at the pits, which complicated refueling. Some fuel was left in the dispenser hose and ended up on the hot parts of the single-seater, igniting. Mechanic Loris Manucci intervened with a fire extinguisher along with a fire crew member. Gianmaria Bruni, what happened next?
"Fuel got under the vent, so flames were enveloping me on both sides. The men with the extinguisher were very quick, however, they could not tell where the fire was developing from, so they sprayed everywhere".
Did the flames come at you?
"No, but the fire-fighting liquid did. It's toxic, it got into my helmet, blocking my breath".
Were you scared?
"Not at first, because the suits are made to withstand 20 seconds of flames. But when the smoke entered my lungs along with that liquid, I panicked".
What did you do?
"I tried to get out quickly. I detached the steering wheel and hurled it away, so I tried to free myself. In apnea, it was not easy. When they realized my difficulties, the mechanics helped me".
Did you go to the medical center?
"No, Dr. Ceccarelli from Toyota came to help me. He administered oxygen and after half an hour I recovered. My throat and bronchi continue to bother me because of the burning".
According to the mechanics, you went a little long at the pits.
"If a fire breaks out every time a driver goes long, we could open a pizzeria".
The next round of the World Championship is in Shanghai, on a new circuit. Scuderia Ferrari will continue to prepare on two fronts, from Tuesday, September 14 to Friday, September 17, 2004, at Jerez with Rubens Barrichello and Michael Schumacher, at Mugello with test driver Luca Badoer who will be joined by Andrea Bertolini on Friday for half a day. And at this point of the season, with the World Championships already won, it can be assumed that Scuderia Ferrari is already testing for 2005.