News On F1

Formula 1 Store
F1 Tours, Tickets, Gear
F1 Books
& Biographies

Also Attractions & Concerts

2004 Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix
Race Preview


F1 Merchandise
blank.gif (809 bytes)
blank.gif (809 bytes)
Main Page
Formula 1 News
2016 F1 Schedule
2016 F1 Line-up
2015 F1 Results
F1 Teams
F1 Drivers
NewsOnF1 Mobile
10 'n' Pole
Register - Submit
F1 Regulations
The Forums
Live F1 Coverage
Time & Weather
Motorsport Shop
UK - USA
Motorsport Calendar

F1 Merchandise UK
F1 Merchandise USA

F1 Tours
F1 Tickets
F1 Diecast
F1 Videos
F1 Games
F1 Trivia
NewsOnF1 on Twitter
MotoGP Tickets
Past Formula 1 Seasons
2015 F1 Results
2014 F1 Results
2013 F1 Results
2012 F1 Results
2011 F1 Results
2010 F1 Results
2009 F1 Results
2008 F1 Results
2007 F1 Results
2006 F1 Results
2005 F1 Results
2004 F1 Results
2003 F1 Results

2002 F1 Results

2001 F1 Results

2000 F1 Results

1999 F1 Results

1998 F1 Results

1997 F1 Results
Links
2010 World Cup
Translate
Search
Contact Us
About
Archives
Your Say
Diagnosis & Prognosis
By the Heretic
Controversy Corner
The Real Race
By the Quali-flyer
F1 Testing
F1 Team Reports
10 'n' Pole till 2012
8 'n' Pole
2006 World Cup

Download the NewsOnF1.com
toolbar
powered by Alexa

Formula 1 Drivers Championship
Formula 1 Constructors Championship

Reports & Results from the Spanish GP

Formula 1 Seasons

'14  '13  '12  '11  '10  '09  '08  '07  '06
 '05  '04  '03  '02  '01  '00  '99  '98  '97

 

 Track Layout (from the FIA)

 

Can BAR and Renault challenge Ferrari ?

At the San Marino Grand Prix, Ferrari faced some competition from BAR when Jenson Button managed to grab pole and lead the race for the first stint. Michael Schumacher worked hard to overtake Jenson Button via the pits and then never looked back. Rubens Barrichello on the other hand couldn't do the same and ended up in 6th place. Between the 2 Ferraris there was a BAR, 2 Renaults and a Williams. 
The Spanish race at Barcelona will advantage those with an aerodynamic edge and so teams like BAR and Renault are most likely to have a chance to close the gap to Ferrari. Williams appear to be still struggling with their car while McLaren are having major problems with their engines. The rest will find it difficult to get near the top.  

Here is a team by team review:

Ferrari: Won the race with a superbly executed strategy but appeared to have made a blunder with Barrichello's strategy. The car is strong and reliable and will be very hard to beat. 
Reliability 9.5/10 - Speed 9.5/10

Drivers: Michael Schumacher drove a faultless race and executed a race winning strategy starting from second. He has proven yet again that he is there to win the championship and won't give up easily. 5 in a row can be expected. 

Rubens Barrichello had a poor race by contrast to Michael at Imola with a poor strategy. We cannot tell whose fault it is but the Brawn - Schumacher combination at Ferrari can't be replicated with Barrichello it appears. A podium finish is possible if he and his team get their strategy right!.

Renault: Remain in second place following Imola but have less than half the points Ferrari have accumulated. They are one of two teams that may have a chance of challenging Ferrari at this circuit. Like Ferrari they are the only team to have finished both their cars in the points so far this season. 
Reliability 9.5/10 - Speed 9.0/10 (Team Preview)

Drivers: Fernando Alonso drove an impressive race at Imola after having a bad start and made up for it by overtaking a number of top drivers via the pits. He will be more motivated in front of his home crowd. Last year he finished second, he'd be hoping for a win but it will be difficult.

Jarno Trulli managed to finish 5th in Imola which isn't a bad result but his team-mate's performance showed that he isn't on par with him. Points likely.

BAR: Are on equal points with Williams but lead them based on higher finishing positions. The car is certainly fast and it is strong aerodynamically which suites this track. They will be strong and don't be surprised if they score another Pole but reliability is a concern.
Reliability 8.5/10 - Speed 9.0/10 (Team Preview)

Drivers: Jenson Button started on Pole and lead the San Marino Grand Prix for the first stint. Michael then appeared to have demotivated him as he settled for second. Still a great result which he can certainly build on here. Podium possible, win difficult.

Takuma Sato retired with a blown engine at Imola but he was running 8th at the time. At some tracks he appears to match Button but on others he is no where near him. Expect a close fight in Spain. Points likely if the car lasts!.

Williams: Dropped to 4th in the World Championship ranking and must be embarrassed to have both Renault and BAR ahead of them. Williams are a strong team and will bounce back. It is unlikely that they'll make their recovery here though.
Reliability 9.0/10 - Speed 9.0/10 (Team Preview)

Drivers: Juan Pablo Montoya managed to finish 3rd at Imola. Had it been behind 2 Ferrari's would have been acceptable but to finish a long way behind a BAR must be frustrating. Expect more of the same at Barcelona.  

Ralf Schumacher yet again bumps into another car. One wonders what Ralf is trying to achieve by his actions. He certainly isn't doing himself any favours. Points likely though!.

McLaren: Sitting on 5 points against Ferrari's 64. This is the team that at one stage in the pre-season was the hot favourite. They are clearly struggling inside the team and unless Ron Dennis pulls them together, McLaren will drop out of the top teams.
Reliability 6.5/10 - Speed 9.0/10 (Team Preview)

Drivers: David Coulthard had an incident at the start with Alonso that cost him his front wing. He was out of contention from that moment as the car was quick enough to gain back places. In Spain they should do better but don't expect anything higher than 5th if the car lasts.

Kimi Raikkonen finally scores a point thanks to Sato's engine failure. It remains to be seen how much of an impact the poor performance of the McLaren made on Kimi. I suspect little and once the car is sorted he'll show us again what a great driver he is. Points possible if reliability holds.

Sauber: Almost scored a point at Imola with Fisichella finishing 9th. They appear to be just behind McLaren in terms of performance. Still points are too difficult for them.
Reliability 8.5/10 - Speed 7.5/10 (Team Preview)

Drivers: Felipe Massa finished 10th at Imola and was far behind to score points on merit. Not much will change in Barcelona.

Giancarlo Fisichella needed another car from the top teams to drop out in Imola for him to score his first point of the season. That didn't happen and he'll have to hope for more cars in front of him to retire so he can have a chance of scoring points.

Jaguar: They may cause a little surprise at Barcelona by beating Toyota and Sauber and perhaps mixing it with McLaren. They need better reliability though. 
Reliability 7.5/10 - Speed 7.5/10 (Team Preview)

Drivers: Mark Webber had an engine problem at Imola and that may have cost him a point. If reliability holds he may score a point or two if enough cars in front drop out. 

Christian Klien didn't do that well at Imola as it was a new track for him. Barcelona will be a different story as he is familiar with the track. Points will be difficult though!.

Toyota: They are reliable and have a powerful engine but their aero is weak and that won't help them in Spain. It is unlikely that they'll score points.
Reliability 9.0/10 - Speed 7.5/10 (Team Preview)

Drivers: Cristiano da Matta retired in Imola after spinning out. He'll try to make up for that mistake in Barcelona but his car won't help him much!.

Olivier Panis finished 11th at Imola which isn't a good result. Expect more of the same at Barcelona. 

Jordan: Had both cars retire in Imola. They are clearly struggling and don't appear to be able to improve performance without compromising reliability. 
Reliability 6.5/10 - Speed 7.0/10 (Team Preview)

Drivers: Nick Heidfeld retired with transmission problems but he was running at the back anyway with no chance of scoring points. Expect a similar result.

Giorgio Pantano suffered from hydraulic problems at Imola. The car isn't competitive and he will struggle in Spain.

Minardi: Managed to get one of their cars to the finish albeit 4 laps down. The team continues falling behind the rest.
Reliability 6.5/10 - Speed 6.5/10 

Drivers: Gianmaria Bruni had to withdraw from the race due to brake balance problems. He needs a huge break if he hopes of making the top 10.

Zsolt Baumgartner seems to be able to finish races but he aint fast!. 

Bridgestone Preview - Michelin Preview

Join 8 'n' Pole and see how your predictions stack up against the others.
Register now it is never too late to win!
 

Note: Official team preview links when available

Race Preview

Main Spanish Grand Prix Page

Fan Reviews

Session

2004

2003

First Friday Practice Results Report Results
Second Friday Practice Results Report Results
First Saturday Practice Results   Results
Second Saturday Practice Results Report Results
Qualifying Results Report Results
Race Results Report Results

What the teams and drivers said
Friday - Saturday - Sunday

Back to Top

Loading


F1 Merchandise US

F1 Merchandise UK

The Official Tribute To Ayrton Senna 
1960 To 1994

Formula 1 Technical Analysis: 2003 New

The 2004 Formula 1 
Annual
New PreOrder

The Science of 
F1 Design
New

F1 2003 World 
Championship Yearbook

Autocourse 2004-2005
New PreOrder

Race Car Chassis: 
Design and Construction

more Auto Magazines

more Formula 1 Titles

more Race Driving Titles

more Race Car Design Titles


Ayrton Senna

Past Formula 1 Drivers

F1 Driver Biographies

Click Here for Ferrari F1 Model Cars (Diecast)
Ferrari F1 Model Cars (Diecast)
Also Ferrari Road Car Models

Click Here for Williams F1 Model Cars (Diecast)
Williams BMW F1 Model Cars (Diecast)
Also BMW Road Car Models

Formula 1 Model Cars (Diecast)