After taking risks at the start, using dry tyres in the wet, Fernando finished fourth behind Montoya, Raikkonen and Barrichello.
There was consternation in the paddock half an hour before the start of the Brazilian Grand Prix as rain, which had threatened to fall since mid-morning, made a guest appearance at the Interlagos circuit. The Renault F1 Team took full advantage of its flair for innovation and fitted dry tyres to both cars… on a wet circuit. They expected the circuit to dry quickly and this would soon make intermediate (wet weather) tyres unusable after just a few laps. Only Renault and David Coulthard took the risk.
After a nervous few laps at the start, things fell into place perfectly. Fernando and Jacques struggled to stay on the circuit during the first three laps as grip levels were so low – after 4 laps, the number 8 Renault was 25 seconds behind the leader! One lap later, though, and that same car was the fastest thing on track… Gradually, the risk paid off as one by one, the leading cars dove into the pits for dry tyres. Fernando and Jacques stayed out and by lap 7, Fernando was leading while Jacques occupied seventh spot.
The Renault drivers made their first stops around lap 20 and came back out mid pack. However, they were now on strategies out of synch with the other runners and when their rivals stopped on laps 26 and 28, Fernando took third behind Montoya and Raikkonen. He only had one stop left, on lap 47… However, he was suffering from a loss of front grip owing to tyre graining and to solve the problem, the team decided to only change the rear tyres.
Fernando lost third place to Rubens Barrichello during this sequence, but stayed ahead of Ralf Schumacher as the German battled to find a way past – he did it at one point but the Spaniard immediately got him back. It was a crucial manoeuvre – it meant Fernando claimed fourth place in the drivers’ championship ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya… by just one point! As for Jacques, he finished tenth.
The podium was therefore composed of Montoya, Raikkonen and Barrichello – three very tired men after a race run practically at qualifying speed. Indeed, the two leaders were rarely separated by more than a second during the entire race!
So, the curtain has come down on the 2004 season after 18 Grands Prix. One hour after the race and the teams are pulling down the garage, packing things away and dismantling the 2004 cars for the final time.
Are they thinking of holidays? Not a chance! People are already hard at work on 2005, in all areas. F1 never stops!
