29.08.2004 Second place to McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen at a drama-packed Belgian Grand Prix handED Michael Schumacher his seventh F1 driver's title: Belgian Grand Prix report

Kimi Raikkonen scored his second ever Grand Prix win from tenth on the grid and the first for McLaren-Mercedes since Malaysia last year; Michael Schumacher clinched his seventh World Championship with second place; and Rubens Barrichello came through from two early pit stops to repair his damaged Ferrari to finish third.

It was a momentous, thrilling and action-packed Belgian Grand Prix at Spa on Sunday, but the day belonged to the two winners: Kimi Raikkonen and Michael Schumacher.

The sun returned to Spa for the 44 lap race, with the two Renaults of poleman Jarno Trulli and Fernando Alonso from row two leading through La Source on lap one followed by David Coulthard’s McLaren which demoted Schumacher’s front row Ferrari to fourth.

Behind, however, there was chaos, two separate car damaging incidents at La Source and Eau Rouge. Mark Webber lost his Jaguar’s nose against Barrichello’s Ferrari at La Source, and then the Australian found himself unable to steer at Eau Rouge and collided with Takuma Sato.

Giorgio Pantano and Gianmaria Bruni were also put out, and the safety car was deployed. Jenson Button (BAR), Felipe Massa (Sauber), Zsolt Baumgartner (Minardi), Barrichello, Nick Heidfeld (Jordan) and Olivier Panis (Toyota) all had to make stops for accident damage, with Barrichello and Massa making a second stop, but they didn’t lose time because of the safety car.

When it came in on lap four, Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya (Williams) found their Michelins gave more instant grip than Schumacher’s Bridgestones, and they pushed him back to sixth, the Colombian in a very tight manoeuvre at the Bus Stop chicane. Raikkonen jumped up to third by overtaking team mate Coulthard on the next lap.

The Renault pair ran nose-to-tail to lap ten when Trulli pitted for new tyres which he found gave him little grip at the rear end.

At the same time, Coulthard suffered a puncture and staggered round for new tyres, dropping him from third to 15th. Alonso now lead, but on lap 12 oil on his tyres caused a spin at Les Combes followed by a terminal one at Rivage.

So Raikkonen lead, only to pit almost immediately, promoting Montoya to lead but when he pitted on lap 15, it was Schumacher who took over, only for him to pit and Antonio Pizzonia (Williams) even led for a lap.

At the end of the stops, Raikkonen led by 4.6s from Button who had yet to make a second stop after his first to repair the car, then there was an 8.9s gap to Michael Schumacher who had just overtaken the ailing Trulli, then Massa and Montoya. Pizzonia was next, just ahead of Fisichella.

Massa made his first scheduled stop on lap 20, just before half distance, while Button stopped a lap later.

However, Montoya had dropped back after trying to overtake Trulli at the Bus Stop chicane in a manoeuvre that had worked on Schumacher, but didn’t work on the Renault driver. Both continued, Montoya was still fifth but Trulli’s woes continues as he dropped to eighth.

Barrichello was moving up, overtaking Fisichella for fifth, the Italian also demoted by Button on the next lap. However, Barrichello pitted on lap 23 and dropped to tenth.

Raikkonen led by 13s from Michael Schumacher, while Pizzonia was third just ahead of teammate Montoya. Then came a gap to Button followed by Zonta and Massa. Panis was next from Barrichello.

On lap 29, Raikkonen and Montoya pitted, promoting Button but he suffered a burst right rear tyre as he approached Les Combes, colliding with the unfortunate Baumgartner taking them both out, thankfully without injury, but the safety car came out for the second time.

Schumacher, Pizzonia, Zonta, Massa and Panis all pitted as it came out. But during the safety car period, Pizzonia pulled off without gears.

The race resumed on lap 34 with ten laps to go in the order Raikkonen, Schumacher, Montoya, Barrichello, Zonta, Massa, then Fisichella, Klien and Coulthard all close together, having demoted Panis.

But on lap 37, it was Montoya’s turn to suffer a puncture and retire to the pits, promoting Barrichello and Zonta to third and fourth. But the Fisichella, Klien, Coulthard battle ended when the McLaren hit the rear end of the Jaguar, and brought out the safety car again on lap 39. Klien continued, but Coulthard pitted for a new front wing.

With three laps left, in went the safety car. Raikkonen was untouchable and won by 3.1s from World Champion Schumacher. Barrichello closed up to finish 1.2s behind his teammate in third, while Massa was a surprised fourth place after Zonta suffered a blown engine three laps from the end.

Fisichella finished fifth, just ahead of Klien winning his first World Championship points. Coulthard recovered for seventh, while Panis was just behind him in eighth, salvaging the final point!