Older F1 fans who watch the sport today have often complained about predictable tyre strategies, and how they make races boring. Back in the day, teams had a free choice of tyres, and the difference in compounds meant that the strategies were vastly different and sometimes even bizarre. As Michael Schumacher proved at the 2004 French GP, tyre strategies were as good and effective as the driver behind the wheels of the car.
Most F1 races today witness drivers making just one or two scheduled pit stops. However, at the Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours in 2004, Schumacher was able to get a race win with four pitstops! Schumacher started the race from P2 on the grid, behind a young Fernando Alonso who earned the pole position for Renault.
Despite a strong start made by Alonso in the race, Schumacher executed a brave strategy put forward by a Ross Brawn-led Ferrari. Using the Bridgestone F1 tyres, Schumacher stopped four times, in order to use fresher tyres to put in consistently superior lap times throughout the race or to refuel the car. Schumacher’s move paid off, as he was able to fend off any threat made by Alonso, to take home his ninth win of the 2004 season.
Michael Schumacher held off a young and hungry Fernando Alonso
Towards the end of Schumacher’s Ferrari stint, it was Fernando Alonso who made his life difficult. Schumacher was driving the F2004, one of the most recognizable F1 cars of all time and won that year’s championship.
At the 2004 French GP, Alonso’s pace in qualifying was unmatchable. He was the firm favorite to win the race, heading into the Grand Prix. However, Schumacher’s experience and strategy gamble with the four pit-stops paid off in the end, as the German driver held off a young and hungry Alonso.
Fernando Alonso overtakes Michael Schumacher as the driver with the longest career in Formula 1 today 👴 pic.twitter.com/L3j7M1B80e
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) June 12, 2022
However, Alonso’s partnership with Renault was already proving to be too strong. Alonso did not win any races in 2004, but after figuring out problems with the car, he bounced back to win both the 2005 and 2006 world championships.
2004- Schumacher’s last championship win
Michael Schumacher is one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time, and his successful stint with Ferrari inspired an entire generation to follow in his footsteps. He won his first two world titles with Benetton, but moved to Ferrari shortly thereafter, to help them win the title again.
FIVE DAYS TO LIGHTS OUT 🚦
Michael Schumacher took a record five consecutive World Championships for @ScuderiaFerrari between 2000-04, clinching the final one in Belgium 💪#F1 #F1FastFact pic.twitter.com/MVoFcjnQ3x
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 20, 2018
Along with Ross Brawn and Jean Todt’s management, Schumacher kickstarted a dominant era in F1, winning five consecutive championships between 1999 and 2004. In his last two years with Ferrari, it was Renault driver Alonso who won the championships. After retiring from F1 at the end of the 2006 season, he returned to Mercedes in 2010, back when they were a midfield team.
Schumacher’s Mercedes spell lasted until 2012, after which he retired from F1 altogether, for good.
