Complete calendar with 18 races
The 2004 Formula 1 season witnessed Michael Schumacher and Ferrari produce one of the most statistically dominant campaigns in motorsport history, as the German maestro claimed his seventh World Championship with a record-breaking thirteen victories and wrapped up the title with four races still remaining. The Ferrari F2004, widely regarded as one of the greatest Formula 1 cars ever built, proved utterly superior to its rivals, allowing Schumacher to rewrite the record books and establish performance benchmarks that would stand for over a decade.
Schumacher's supremacy was absolute and relentless. He won thirteen of the eighteen races, including the opening five consecutive Grands Prix in Australia, Malaysia, Bahrain, Imola, and Spain - matching his own record for consecutive victories. His season was characterized by flawless execution, mechanical reliability, and qualifying dominance, with eight pole positions complementing his race wins. The championship was clinched at the Belgian Grand Prix in August, his second-place finish behind Kimi Räikkönen giving him an unassailable points lead. He finished the season with 148 points, 34 ahead of runner-up Rubens Barrichello, and remarkably completed every single racing lap of the season.
The Ferrari F2004 represented the pinnacle of the Schumacher-era Ferrari design philosophy. Penned by Rory Byrne and developed by Ross Brawn's technical team, the car combined devastating straight-line speed with exceptional cornering ability and bulletproof reliability. Its dominance was so complete that Ferrari often won races by margins exceeding thirty seconds, with Schumacher lapping the entire field except the podium finishers on multiple occasions. The car's only weakness was its performance on specific street circuits where lower-speed grip mattered more than outright power.
Barrichello secured his supporting role with two victories at the Chinese Grand Prix and Italian Grand Prix, though the Monza win came only after team orders were relaxed following the championship being secured. The Brazilian finished second in the standings and played the perfect number two, consistently delivering podiums and constructor points while never challenging Schumacher for supremacy. Ferrari's constructor's championship victory - their sixth consecutive title - came with a record 262 points, more than doubling second-placed BAR's tally.
Renault emerged as the second-best team, with Fernando Alonso finishing fourth in the championship and demonstrating the speed that would make him champion in 2005. Jarno Trulli won at Monaco and claimed third in the standings before his acrimonious mid-season departure to Toyota. The French team's R24 was quick but couldn't match Ferrari's relentless pace and reliability. Their performances offered hope that Ferrari's dominance might be challengeable with further development.
BAR-Honda provided one of the season's major stories, emerging from midfield obscurity to finish second in the constructors' championship. Jenson Button claimed ten podium finishes without winning a race, demonstrating remarkable consistency and earning widespread praise for his mature performances. His teammate Takuma Sato took a popular third place at the United States Grand Prix. The team's transformation from backmarker to podium contender represented one of F1's most impressive year-on-year improvements.
Williams-BMW suffered a dramatic decline from title contenders to fourth in the constructors' standings. Juan Pablo Montoya won at Brazil and Germany but inconsistency plagued his season, while Ralf Schumacher struggled with injuries and confidence after his 2003 Indianapolis crash. McLaren-Mercedes endured their worst season in years, failing to win a single race for the first time since 1996. Kimi Räikkönen provided their only victory at Spa-Francorchamps, while reliability issues and a generally uncompetitive MP4-19 left them scrambling.
Schumacher's seventh world title moved him three championships clear of Fangio's record, a margin that seemed unassailable and cemented his status as the most successful driver in Formula 1 history. His thirteen victories in a single season broke the record of eleven he'd set in 2002, while his dominance prompted renewed calls for regulation changes to improve competition. The FIA responded by banning tire changes during races for 2005, a rule specifically designed to end Ferrari's superiority. For Schumacher and Ferrari, 2004 represented the absolute peak of their partnership - a season of such total domination that it would define their legacy and stand as the benchmark for excellence in Formula 1's modern era.