2004 Canadian GP: Schumacher's record win, Williams disqualified

Michael Schumacher won the 2004 Canadian GP at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve from grid position 6. His team-mate Rubens Barrichello finished second, with Jenson Button third in the BAR. Ferrari won the race with a strategy that needed one pit stop fewer than their direct rivals at the front. However, the final result was only settled after the chequered flag: the stewards excluded both Williams cars and both Toyota cars from the classification for illegal brake ducts.

Pole-sitter Ralf Schumacher kept the lead ahead of Button at the start. Just behind, Renault were hit: Jarno Trulli had started from grid position 3 and failed to complete a single lap. The official result lists a transmission failure, while race reports speak of suspension damage on the way into the first corner. His team-mate Fernando Alonso, by contrast, got through the start cleanly.

There was a scramble in the midfield at the exit of the second corner. Christian Klien, Felipe Massa and Mark Webber made contact, and depending on the source David Coulthard was also involved. Webber had to pit with a puncture and parked his Jaguar after 6 laps, officially because of suspension damage. Michael Schumacher held fifth place in the opening phase, including fending off an attack from Kimi Räikkönen at Turn 2 (according to autosport.com). Jordan rookie Timo Glock would later turn out to be one of the big winners of the day.

Ferrari put Michael Schumacher on a two-stop strategy, so he started with more fuel on board than the leaders. Ralf Schumacher, Button and Juan Pablo Montoya were on three stops. According to grandprix.com, Button and Montoya were the first to pit, on lap 13. After that Michael had clear air and could make up time with quick laps.

The lead then changed hands several times. Ralf Schumacher led up to and including lap 14, before Alonso briefly went ahead from lap 15. His own stop took too long because the refuelling rig was not working properly. According to autosport.com, he lost around 16 seconds. From lap 17 Michael led until he made his own first pit stop. From lap 19 Ralf was back in front.

The race was decided in the second round of stops. When Ralf came in for the second time on lap 33, Michael took the lead and held it until lap 46. He then made his second and final stop. Ralf led only on lap 47 before he had to pit a third time. From lap 48 Michael was out of reach at the front. Afterwards Michael said the plan had worked, according to autosport.com.

Barrichello ran right behind his team-mate for several laps. After his second stop he had brake problems on his out-lap. He ran wide at Turn 8 and lost second place on track to Ralf. As consolation, Barrichello set the fastest lap of the race.

Montreal turned into a nightmare for Renault. After Trulli's exit at the start, Alonso also retired after 44 laps. He was running third when the driveshaft broke. The other retirements:

• Jarno Trulli (Renault): 0 laps, transmission
• Mark Webber (Jaguar): after 6 laps, suspension
• Gianmaria Bruni (Minardi): after 30 laps, gearbox
• Fernando Alonso (Renault): after 44 laps, driveshaft
• Takuma Sato (BAR): after 48 laps, engine. The Japanese driver had started from the pit lane and had earlier spun at the hairpin while trying to overtake Olivier Panis.
• Felipe Massa (Sauber): after 62 laps, accident. Massa crashed heavily at the hairpin. A wheel flew over the catch fencing, but nobody was injured. The sources give problems with the brakes or the rear suspension as the cause. Massa was taken to hospital for precautionary checks.

Things also went wrong in the pit lane. Nick Heidfeld's Jordan was released before refuelling had finished, and a mechanic was knocked over. At Button's second stop the anti-stall kicked in, so he got away only sluggishly. Räikkönen was given a drive-through penalty for crossing the white line at the pit exit. He also had to pit for a steering wheel change.

On the road, Ralf Schumacher had crossed the line second and Montoya fifth. During post-race scrutineering, the FIA inspectors found that the front brake ducts on both Williams-BMWs did not comply with the regulations. The same applied to the Toyotas of Cristiano da Matta and Olivier Panis. All four cars were excluded from the results.

Williams technical director Sam Michael called it an unintentional mistake that had brought no performance advantage. The team accepted the decision. It was a bitter blow for Williams, who lost the points for second and fifth place at a stroke.

The disqualifications were a big boost for the drivers behind. Giancarlo Fisichella collected five points for fourth place, having climbed 7 places from 11th. McLaren took seven points with Räikkönen (5th) and Coulthard (6th). Timo Glock gained the most places: going from grid position 16 to 7th meant 9 places gained and 2 championship points in his first Grand Prix. Heidfeld finished eighth, making sure Jordan scored with both cars.

Alongside Williams and Toyota, the Renault drivers were the losers of the day. Trulli lost 13 places from grid position 3, Alonso 8.

In the 2004 drivers' championship, Michael Schumacher now led with 70 points from Barrichello (54) and Button (44). Trulli (36) and Alonso (25) followed in fourth and fifth. After the race Ralf Schumacher had only 12 points instead of 20. In the constructors' championship Ferrari extended their lead and moved to 124 points. Renault had 61, BAR 52 and Williams 36.

With this victory Michael Schumacher made history. He became the first driver to win the same Grand Prix seven times. It was his 77th win in Formula 1 and already his seventh in the eighth race of the 2004 season. After Montreal, Ferrari's dominance of the season was hard to miss. Barrichello and Button were falling further and further behind in the title race.

In hindsight: Ferrari would not win in Canada again until 2018. There would not be more than two disqualifications in a single race again until the 2025 Chinese GP.