Spanish Grand Prix Review

But for once, the talk during the weekend wasn't just about Ferrari's dominance and everyone else's inferiority - most now seem resigned to the fact that 2004 is witnessing the alignment of Michael and Maranello doing a better job than anyone else while their main challengers fade appallingly and the other up-and-coming challengers aren't quite ready to step up to the plate. True, 2004 is a write-off as far as competitiveness is concerned, but you can't criticise Ferrari for being Simply The Best.

Instead, the major talking point were the raft of rule changes that the FIA somehow got the teams to agree with for 2008 and beyond, if not as early as 2006 and even 2005. Unless you're a hermit, you'll have heard that the proposals include reduced engine capacities, standard engine ECUs, the possibility of customer cars, only one tyre maker at a time, extended Parc Ferme periods, the banning of the spare car, the end of tyre stops during a race, narrower front tyres and wider rears, and even a return to slicks.

In perhaps the most exciting moment of the afternoon, the start of the race was of course almost aborted because of the anti-capitalist protester running down the front straight during the warm-up lap. No points to the Spanish race organisers; and certainly no points to ITV pit reporter Ted Kravitz, who wasted air time by detailing exactly what the guy was protesting about, giving his views even more publicity than he and his unreadable banner flapping in the Catalunya breeze could have ever hoped for!

The fact is that the ITV coverage goes out to almost half the world, not just Britain but also Australia, India, Pakistan and many South East Asian nations. It is also fact that the pit reporter's job these days is very difficult, the professionalism of the sport meaning that there is less unreliability and unpredictable drama in pit lane to report. Kravitz has made an art form of attempting to make something out of absolutely nothing, but effectively encouraging future looneys was a slightly more worrying failing. 'Reject of the Race' for Ted then, in a race otherwise devoid of notable daftness.

REJECT OF THE RACE
ITV's Ted Kravitz
Gave crazy protester's views a hefty plug!

Mind you, the mechanical failure almost eventuated, as Michael spent half the race nursing a broken exhaust, which could foreseeably have caused other parts to fail. If that had happened, it would have been Schumi's first car-related retirement since the German GP of 2001. But then again, considering how Michael could back off, drop the revs, still maintain a healthy pace, and bring the car home without too much concern, perhaps the whole scenario was less dramatic than it has been portrayed.

The conspiracy theorists were up in arms again though, suggesting that while Michael slowed for a few laps to find a safe and suitable rhythm, Rubens had also slowed to hold station and maintain the gap. There was also the very un-Ferrari-like tyre mix-up at his second stop. Put it down, however, to human errors, the likes of which Ferrari showed they could make last year. It seems incomprehensible how question marks always have to shadow Michael's driving. In no other sport is a champion so much-maligned.

Though Jarno led the first nine laps, there was no question of him ever staying in front of Michael. This was an excellent race for the Italian, especially since he was battling some illness throughout the weekend. He was able to hold off local hero Fernando Alonso relatively comfortably, and is currently equal with the Spaniard on points. Arguably Jarno has been the more consistent of the two Renault team-mates this year. As talk of the 2005 line-ups heat up, Trulli is giving Flavio Briatore good reason to keep him.

Alonso did not show quite the same heroics in Barcelona as he did last year. He got past Sato at the stops but could do little more. Part of the reason being that, relatively speaking, Renault is about where they were last year, BAR have obviously improved significantly, Williams and most notably McLaren have slipped, but Ferrari have taken the Great Leap Forward. And, in some respects, perhaps the R24 has lost some of the R23's sensational handling and balance.

BAR will undoubtedly be leaving Barcelona feeling disappointed. Going by their testing form, this was potentially one track where they could have given Ferrari a scare. Jenson Button paid dearly for his qualifying error when his 006 got out of shape at Campsa thanks to a gust of wind, which dropped him from a potential front row start to 14th. From there he was always going to suffer from poor track position, especially since this is such a poor circuit for passing.

In the end, a point for 8th may be valuable for consolidating JB's hold on 3rd place in the title, but little else. Meanwhile, Sato starred on Saturday, recording the only sub-75s lap all weekend and scoring the highest ever grid position for a Japanese driver. But for a better race package from Renault, Taku may well have equalled Aguri Suzuki's 3rd place in the 1990 Japanese GP as the best ever result for a Japanese driver. Still, a solid effort consolidating his place in most people's eyes as a truly worthy F1 driver.

The way Giancarlo Fisichella in the Sauber could hold off the Colombian must be disconcerting. Even more so, the fact that JPM suffered brake failure on a circuit which is not hard on brakes, and Ralf Schumacher's big fat nothing of a race that had "Can't Be Bothered" written all over it. Right now, Williams have the air of a team for which 2004 can't be over quickly enough. Especially with all the talk about their drivers for next year, it really seems to be a case of 'roll on 2005' - after only 5 of 18 races this year.

As Williams stare down the long, long remainder of the season they still have to endure, one of the drivers in possible contention for the Grove seat next year (mind you, anyone who's anyone in motor racing seems to be muttered in conjunction with Williams next year, from Jacques Villeneuve to Jeff Gordon to Scott Dixon ... hey Frank, I hear Nigel Mansell wants to come out of retirement again!) did his chances no harm at all with a fantastic drive to 7th.

For Giancarlo to then qualify 12th was an excellent effort, and then to make best use of the two-stop plan to finish a fighting 7th made it his best drive for quite a while. Add that to a strong race in Imola, and Fisi's doing everything to impress the powers that be at Ferrari, Williams et al at just the right moment. By contrast, in qualifying 17th Massa didn't set the world on fire, but it's easy to overlook that he also managed to climb to an eventual 9th, which also was none-too-shabby a Sunday afternoon's work.

If Fisichella is coming good at just the right time, as the 2004-05 silly season begins in earnest earlier than usual - I mean, the pundits need something to speculate about, and who's going to win each race isn't in much doubt at the moment - then some of Mark Webber's recent race efforts hasn't done him too many favours. His qualifying speed continues to impress. If the Jaguar is, say, the 6th best car in the field, then anything in the top 10 on the grid is a bonus result for the Aussie.

Then again, just imagine, if Mark had indeed qualified 5th, even with his poor start he may have stayed ahead of the mobile road blocks (a.k.a. the McLarens, and who'd have thought we would ever describe them as such?) and been able to hold off Button for the last point. Them's the breaks in the tight scramble for any of the points positions off the podium these days. Meanwhile, not much to say about Christian Klien who recorded his first DNF to date, although his deficit to Webber in qualifying was rather disappointing.

As for McLaren, well, gulp! 10th and 13th in qualifying, operational and mechanical problems in the race, and a lapped 10th and 11th finish for David Coulthard and Kimi Raikkonen. The Woking team are clearly fifth in the pecking order behind Ferrari, BAR, Renault and Williams, but they have Sauber and Jaguar snapping at their heels, and in the F1 cosmic order that is just not the way it should be. If the 59-point deficit to arch-rivals Ferrari after Imola looked bad, the gap is now 77 points...

It was a case of same old, same old for Toyota in Barcelona, Olivier Panis qualifying a deceptive 7th before dropping back through the field as once again the team failed the tactical and strategic test, and Cristiano da Matta doing little of note en route to finishing 13th. On this track where aerodynamics is key, the TF104 was found as wanting as everyone knows it to be, and it comes as no surprise that Mike Gascoyne has now replaced Rene Hilhorst in looking after the aero department at Cologne.

One also wonders how much of the blame for Toyota's underwhelming aero packages in the past few seasons can be attributed to chief designer Gustav Brunner. Despite his well-earned reputation, as the nuances of F1 design evolve, it is understandable that designers might be unable to keep up. For example, Steve Nichols was one of those behind the McLaren MP4/4 that won 15 of 16 races in 1988; he then was also one of the key men behind the lamentable Jaguar R3 fourteen years later.

No one seems to be questioning Adrian Newey at the moment, but how much 'fault' (if we want to use that word) is at his door for the McLaren MP4/19's aerodynamic deficiencies? Even the likes of Patrick Head hasn't struck gold with the Williams' walrus nose. The point being that, for all of Brunner's great work in the past, the cars he has designed for Toyota have given the team poor platforms for improvement. Perhaps Gascoyne should take over his job too?!?

The rumour running hot was that, with Jos Verstappen set to test for Jordan, Heidfeld was soon to get the heave-ho for no reason other than that he doesn't bring much money to the team. While it wouldn't be a bad thing for Jos the Boss to be back in F1 - his fervent legion of Dutch fans with doubtless be happy - Nick is someone who deserves to be in F1, although his quiet nature doesn't make him sponsor-friendly. He is an outsider for the Williams drive next year, and quite rightly so.

Yet another quite pointless run as well for Minardi, this brave little team now found increasingly out of its depth and surely hoping to survive until the big rule changes pass through. Gianmaria Bruni once again did his best with the difficult PS04, only to incur brake trouble like Montoya, although one wonders if leaking fluids from the back of Heidfeld's dying Jordan contributed to his spin into retirement. The Italian is not being allowed to show his true ability by the limitations of his car.

Zsolt Baumgartner, meanwhile, continues to show he is a fish out of water in F1, qualifying 6.4s off the pole, and then becoming the first retirement through a lazy spin at Campsa whilst being lapped. Minardi's only hope in 2004 is for their cars to finish. The car isn't too reliable as it is; they don't need the likes of Zsolt making silly mistakes like that. The qualifying system the way it is, and with the two PS04s being the first two retirements in Spain, they will suffer greatly in a fortnight's time at Monaco.