The 2004 Belgian Grand Prix was the scene of Kimi Raikkonen’s first win at the majestic Spa circuit, and it was also the day Michael Schumacher claimed his final world championship with Ferrari as he tasted defeat in a race for just the second time that season.
Glenn Freeman is joined by Edd Straw and ex-McLaren mechanic Marc Priestley to look back on the weekend, where Raikkonen held off Schumacher to claim a win that had seemed impossible for McLaren earlier in the season when its original 2004 car was hopelessly off the pace.
They also discuss the impact of that summer’s Jenson Button contract saga, Jacques Villeneuve’s bid to replace Button at BAR, the big debate over F1’s rules and race format in the wake of Ferrari’s dominance, Toyota’s failure to make an impression despite a huge budget, Williams’s dig at teams still running tobacco sponsorship, how Renault’s race fell apart after running 1-2 early on, and how McLaren felt to be celebrating a first win in over a year while Ferrari and Schumacher were cementing a fifth consecutive title together.
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