04.07.2004 Another win for Michael Schumacher WITH Rubens Barrichello THIRD, but this 79th victory for the German was hard fought as Renault upped their game: French Grand Prix report

It looks easy on paper, another win for Michael Schumacher and a third place for Rubens Barrichello, but this 79th victory for the reigning champion, the 176th for the Scuderia was hard fought as rival teams, as expected, upped their game as the championship moves into its second half.

Since the start of the weekend, the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro strategists had looked at the possibility of starting the race on a flexible strategy that could be switched between running the race in four stints with three stops or five stints with four stops.

Alonso led from pole with Schumacher close behind. These two soon pulled out a gap over third placed Trulli and began to trade fastest race lap times. Barrichello, down in tenth place on the grid, because of hydraulic problems on Saturday, had made up one place to run behind Sato.

Schumacher was the first driver to refuel on lap 11, having closed the gap to Alonso to 0.6s. Barrichello stopped on lap 12, as did Coulthard, the two men dropping back to 9th and 10th.

Trulli pitted from second on lap 13, promoting Button to second ahead of team-mate Sato. Alonso and Button both made their first stops on lap 14, but when Sato came in on 15, Alonso was back in the lead, 2.8s ahead of Michael, with Rubens back in 10th.

Alonso pulled away slightly from Schumacher until the German, making the most of the consistency of his Bridgestone tyres began closing the gap again on lap 20. Raikkonen in 7th, started the second run of stops on lap 28, one before Schumacher.

This was the key moment as Ferrari decided to put the German on a four stop strategy, as he rejoined the race fifth.

At this point the two Renaults were again in the lead with Button third. The BAR driver pitted on the next lap and Trulli and Barrichello, now running third, both came in on lap 31. Michael began setting fastest race laps and when Alonso pitted on lap 32, the Ferrari man went past the pit lane exit before the Spaniard had emerged.

The order at the front now looked set. Michael handed the lead to Alonso when he made stop number three on lap 42, but only until the Spaniard did the same on lap 46.

Michael then led all the way to the chequered flag, even during his much discussed fourth visit to pit lane on lap 58 of 70 when he led Alonso by around 22s.

The interest now centred on the fight for third between Trulli, Barrichello (who made his third and final stop on lap 51 when lying fourth) and Button. The trio closed right up as they dealt with backmarkers.

On the penultimate corner of the final lap, Trulli made a slight mistake and Rubens seized the opportunity diving inside the Renault, to take a well-deserved third place and join Michael Schumacher on the podium.

Also on the podium to receive the Constructors’ trophy for the race was Luca Baldisserri: a fitting honour for Ferrari’s Head of Race Engineering who suggested the winning four stop strategy.