Montoya wins in Brazil!

Prior to the start of the race rain would fall and as the cars went off on their
formation lap the circuit was very slick, but Coulthard, Villeneuve and Alonso were to start on dry tyres. As the cars waited for the red lights Button's car would start to smoke, but he was able to get away with the rest of the field.

Raikkonen and Barrichello were running side by side and Kimi would pass Rubens going down the long straight to take the lead. Massa would be in third after having passed Juan Pablo. But the Sauber driver would be passed by both Juan Pablo and Button. Michael Schumacher who had started from eighteenth was now tenth. Fisichella would spin his Sauber, but was able to keep going. Juan Pablo would set the fastest lap, a 1m:22.270, on lap two. Michael would spin at the Senna esses but continued.

Barrichello would close to be right behind Raikkonen's going down the start finish straight. He would pass the McLaren going into the first corner. Behind them Juan Pablo would again set the fastest lap of the race, 1m:21.833. Button engine would finally give up on lap three seeing the BAR pull off to the edge of the track. With the track drying Alonso would set the fastest lap, 1m:19.468. Ralf was to pit for dry tyres.

On lap five Alonso would again set the fastest lap of the race, 1m:17.692. There would be a flood of drivers going into change tyres. But Massa would stay out and was now in the lead. Alonso was now up in third, and on lap six would again set another fastest lap, 1m:17.674. On lap seven Alonso was again fastest, a 1m:15.653. He would be beaten by Michael Schumacher with a 1:15.526. Juan Pablo would pass Michael's time with a 1m:13.727 on lap eight. On their dry tyres Villeneuve and Coulthard are up to seventh and eighth places. Barrichello was in sixth position.

Juan Pablo was fastest, 1m:13.300, on lap nine. The times were falling quickly as the circuit dried out. It would be a fastest lap for Alonso, 1m:12.922, on lap ten. So after the flurry of dry tyres changes the top ten was Alonso, Juan Pablo, Raikkonen, Ralf Schumacher, Sato, Barrichello, Villeneuve, Coulthard, Michael Schumacher and Massa. Juan Pablo again fastest on lap thirteen, a 1m:12.706. He would improve this on lap fifteen only to be beaten by Rubens on lap seventeen. Nick Heidfeld would retire pulling off onto the grass.

Alonso would pit from the lead, So Juan Pablo would take the lead with Raikkonen just 3.6 seconds behind him. Alonso would drop to sixth behind Barrichello. Lap twenty two and Barrichello re-sets the fastest lap of the race, a 1m:11.672. Barrichello was 17.0 seconds behind Juan Pablo, while Michael was attacking Alonso for sixth position. In their final race Webber would run into team-mate Christian Klien going into the first corner. Klein would pit getting a new front wing and would return to the race.

With twenty five laps run Ralf would pit, promoting Sato into third and Barrichello to fourth. The gap back to Raikkonen was around the second mark, when Sato and Barrichello would both pit. Juan Pablo would pit, allowing Kimi into the lead. Michael would pit as well. The next lap and Raikkonen would pit from the lead for his second stop. On lap thirty Juan Pablo would set another fastest lap. 1m:11.644. After the stops Juan Pablo was leading Raikkonen, Alonso, Ralf Schumacher, Sato, Barrichello, Massa, Fisichella, Michael Schumacher and Villeneuve.

With rain starting to fall again Sato would run wide at the first corner, losing fifth
to Barrichello. But it appeared that the rain was only affecting the first sector.
Glock and Fisichella would make their second stops of the race. Raikkonen was now 5.2 seconds behind Juan Pablo. Barrichello has reduced the gap to 20.4 seconds after passing Sato. Ralf was now attacking Alonso for third position. Alonso, Villeneuve and Coulthard were still running without making a second stop. The rain would subside.

Raikkonen was now five seconds behind Juan Pablo, with Alonso another 18.5 seconds back. Ralf was just 1.2 seconds off this position. But Ralf would come under attack from Barrichello, Rubens only 1.2 seconds back. Trulli would pit from eleventh. He was joined by Villeneuve. Team-mate Alonso would also pit. Ralf would pit from third, seeing Rubens move into that position. Ralf would almost knock down his lollipop man as he tries to get out of the pits quickly.

Lap forty nine and Juan Pablo would set the fastest lap of the race, a 1m:11.473. Barrichello would pit from third. Juan Pablo would pit from the lead on lap fifty, allowing Kimi to take the lead. Michael would pit from fourth while Kimi would stay out another lap. Rubens was now in fourth. Again Raikkonen would stay out for another lap, setting his quickest lap of the race, a 1m:11.562. Klien would make his lap pit stop seeing the mechanics jobs come to an end. They would wave to Klein in recognition of his last stop.

Raikkonen would stay out again and would gain another seven tenths on Juan Pablo. He would add another four tenths to his lead as Sato would pit from third. Raikkonen would pit, 6.8 seconds, but Juan Pablo would take the lead back from the McLaren. Rubens was in third. Raikkonen was only 1.4 seconds behind Juan Pablo with only fifteen laps to go in the race. Barrichello was 21.8 seconds behind the leaders. Kimi would close the gap to 1.1 seconds. Ralf was in sixth position with Michael is just a half a second behind his brother. Sato was trying to get past Alonso for fourth position.

Raikkonen would close the gap by six tenths to Juan Pablo. But Juan Pablo would quicken his pace pulling out two tenths on Raikkonen. He would gain another two tenths. So on lap sixty four Juan Pablo was just 0.9 seconds ahead of Kimi. Can Juan Pablo keep the McLaren behind him. Alonso, Sato, Ralf and Michael Schumacher filled fourth to seventh, with only 1.5 seconds covering them all. Juan Pablo was now responding to Kimi opening up the gap to 1.1 seconds.

With seven laps to go Michael would try a move on Ralf, but could not make it stick. Kimi would shave fractions off Juan Pablo's lead as the laps counted down. Sato would close in onto the back of Alonso. Barrichello was running in a very lonely third position, 19.4 seconds behind Raikkonen and 23.5 ahead of Alonso. The gap drops down to 0.6 with Jacques Villeneuve ahead of the battle for the lead. Juan Pablo would open his lead up to one second though with two laps to go. On the final lap, and Juan Pablo's last lap for the BMW WilliamsF1 team, he would maintain his lead over Kimi and cross the finish line one second ahead of the McLaren. A great result for the BMW WilliamsF1 team. Backing up Juan Pablo was Ralf who had passed Sato for an excellent fifth.

So the top eighth of the 2004 Brazilian Grand Prix were Juan Pablo Montoya, Kimi Raikkonen, Rubens Barrichello, Fernando Alonso, Ralf Schumacher, Takuma Sato, Michael Schumacher and Brazilian Felipe Massa.

Pos Driver Team-Engine Tyres Time

1. Montoya WilliamsF1-BMW (M) 1h28:01.451
2. Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes (M) + 1.022
3. Barrichello Ferrari (B) + 24.099
4. Alonso Renault (M) + 48.308
5. R. Schumacher WilliamsF1-BMW (M) + 49.740
6. Sato BAR-Honda (M) + 50.248
7. M. Schumacher Ferrari (B) + 50.626
8. Massa Sauber-Petronas (B) + 1:12.310
9. Fisichella Sauber-Petronas (B) + 1:13.842
10. Villeneuve Renault (M) + 1 lap
11. Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes (M) + 1 lap
12. Trulli Toyota (M) + 1 lap
13. Zonta Toyota (M) + 1 lap
14. Klien Jaguar-Cosworth (M) + 2 laps
15. Glock Jordan-Ford (B) + 2 laps
16. Baumgartner Minardi-Cosworth (B) + 4 laps
17. Bruni Minardi-Cosworth (B) + 4 laps

Fastest Lap: Montoya, 1:11.473

Not Classified/Retirements:

Driver Team On Lap
Webber Jaguar-Cosworth (M) 24
Heidfeld Jordan-Ford (B) 16
Button BAR-Honda (M) 4