2004 United States Grand Prix
The 2004 United States Grand Prix (officially the 2004 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race held on June 20, 2004 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. It was Race 9 of 18 in the 2004 FIA Formula One World Championship.
| 2004 United States Grand Prix | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 9 of 18 in the 2004 Formula One World Championship | |||
| Race details | |||
| Date | June 20, 2004 | ||
| Official name | 2004 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix | ||
| Location |
Indianapolis Motor Speedway Speedway, Indiana | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 4.195 km (2.606 miles) | ||
| Distance | 73 laps, 306.016 km (190.238 miles) | ||
| Weather |
Fine with temperatures reaching up to 24 °C (75 °F); Wind speeds up to 20.55 km/h (12.77 mph) | ||
| Attendance | 92,000 | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Ferrari | ||
| Time | 1:10.223 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver | Rubens Barrichello | Ferrari | |
| Time | 1:10.399 on lap 7 (lap record) | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | Ferrari | ||
| Second | Ferrari | ||
| Third | BAR-Honda | ||
|
Lap leaders | |||
Rubens Barrichello started from pole position in his Ferrari ahead of teammate Michael Schumacher. However, following a start-line incident between five cars, four of whom retired as a result, Schumacher overtook Barrichello on the safety car restart on lap six, and despite a threat from Barrichello after the final pit stops, Schumacher held on to take his eighth win of the season. Takuma Sato became only the second Japanese driver to achieve a podium finish.
The race saw two serious accidents caused by Michelin tire failures in what would be a precedent for the 2005 United States Grand Prix, at which all Michelin-shod cars withdrew over safety concerns. First, Fernando Alonso's Renault crashed into the barriers alongside the end of the pit straight on lap nine. Later, Ralf Schumacher's Williams suffered the same fate, but in the most dangerous part of the track, causing him to hit the wall at a ninety-degree angle rearwards. The impact left Schumacher with spinal fractures and concussion, which prevented him from racing until the 2004 Chinese Grand Prix, three months later.