Friday drivers
The bottom six teams in the 2003 Constructors' Championship were entitled to run a third car in free practice on Friday. These drivers drove on Friday but did not compete in qualifying or the race. Leinders was entered as Third Driver but was refused a superlicence until he completed the required mileage in an F1 car. He satisfied this requirement before the next race.
Race
At the start, Alonso was up and away and ahead of Button and looking for a way to deal with Montoya while Jarno Trulli went from ninth on the grid to be fifth out of the first corner. He was aided in his task by Montoya, who went howling down to Turn 1, braked just a hint too late and Montoya was jumped by the Renault of Fernando Alonso as he tried to stay ahead of the surging Alonso. He went off and Alonso had to put some wheels on the grass to avoid a disaster. Montoya went back to seventh. Th... The Ferraris were gone already and as the afternoon developed all that Fernando Alonso could do was to watch the rears of the two red cars as they disappeared from his view. It did not take long. By the fourth lap they were two seconds ahead. By the eighth lap they were five seconds clear and after that Alonso had nothing to do. No one else could keep up with him. Sauber 's Giancarlo Fisichella had a long battle for position in the midfield with Jordan's Nick Heidfeld . Fisichella passed Heidfel... Fernando Alonso gave Renault a podium with third place, while Jenson Button got BAR off the mark with sixth. Jarno Trulli finished 7th in the Renault and was the first lapped runner. McLaren seemed to be less competitive than in recent years, with Kimi Räikkönen becoming the first retirement of the year, dropping out with an engine problem, and with David Coulthard picking up just 1 point in eighth place.
References
37°50′59″S 144°58′06″E / 37.84972°S 144.96833°E / -37.84972; 144.96833
Race Result
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Q1 Time | Q2 Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | 1:25.301 | 1:24.408 |
| 2 | 2 | Rubens Barrichello | Ferrari | 1:25.992 | 1:24.482 |
| 3 | 3 | Juan Pablo Montoya | Williams-BMW | 1:25.226 | 1:24.998 |
| 4 | 9 | Jenson Button | BAR-Honda | 1:25.898 | 1:24.998 |
| 5 | 8 | Fernando Alonso | Renault | 1:25.928 | 1:25.669 |
| 6 | 14 | Mark Webber | Jaguar-Cosworth | 1:26.232 | 1:25.805 |
| 7 | 10 | Takuma Sato | BAR-Honda | 1:26.737 | 1:25.851 |
| 8 | 4 | Ralf Schumacher | Williams-BMW | 1:25.445 | 1:25.925 |
| 9 | 7 | Jarno Trulli | Renault | 1:27.357 | 1:26.290 |
| 10 | 6 | Kimi Räikkönen | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:25.592 | 1:26.297 |
The Paddock Breakdown
Barry · Gary · KatGary — 33 · Three Fantasy F1 leagues
The air hung thick with the scent of high-octane fuel and anticipation as Schumacher's Ferrari, a 2004 F1-RB7 chassis powered by a 3. 0-liter V10 engine, surged ahead. That McLaren, the MP4-19, struggled to keep pace, a testament to the evolving dominance of Ferrari's engine development – a 3. 0-liter unit generating approximately 840 horsepower at its peak. Barrichello's consistent second place solidified Ferrari's early advantage, a strategic declaration of intent for the season. The Williams team, running the WR9, faced a difficult race, hampered by tire degradation.
The rain, a persistent, sullen grey, seemed determined to disrupt the rhythm of Albert Park. Schumacher's Ferrari, a machine sculpted for speed, carved through the damp asphalt with a precision that spoke of a dominance already established. It's a compelling data point, isn't it, considering McLaren's prior reign and the relative struggles of BAR-Honda and Renault.
Kat — 30 · Technical journalist
The rain, a venomous serpent coiling around the track, had threatened to unravel the entire spectacle. Barrichello, a fraction of a second behind, wrestled with the car's balance, a familiar dance for the Brazilian. This, in many ways, echoed the struggles of Fangio's early years, the relentless pursuit of perfection mirroring the legendary driver's own battles. Schumacher, however, remained unmoved, a fortress of calculated aggression, building a buffer that spoke volumes about Ferrari's strategic dominance. The Italian team's 9-point advantage, secured with such clinical precision, felt less like a victory and more like a declaration. The world watched, mirroring the anxieties of the 1939 European Crisis, a sense of impending, inevitable shifts in power.
The rain, a persistent, sullen grey, mirrored the mood settling over the Williams garage. Stewart, a man sculpted by years of relentless pursuit, sat rigidly, a tumbler of water clutched in his hand. A veteran accustomed to victory, he seemed to carry the weight of expectation, a palpable burden amplified by McLaren's sudden decline. The Australian sun, obscured as it was, offered little warmth to a team grappling with a season already threatening to unravel. This, one suspects, was a moment that would define the trajectory of McLaren's 2004 campaign.