Season 2004 Review

But at the same time, as the Ferrari juggernaut turned more and more into a machine, addicted not to the drug of competition but to the ecstasy of winning, so the remaining charisma, passion, mystique that epitomised and symbolised the team in the past slowly drained out from them. True, they may have had more resources, more test tracks, and yes it was up to other teams to catch up. But it was a fine line between asserting their privileges and their rights on one hand, and appearing flauntingly arrogant and having no humanity or grace towards their sport on the other. Ferrari's aristocratic attitude and lack of personality while they were winning was certainly a cause for disappointment. But perhaps more so was how none, not one of their rival teams were able to get their act together in a remotely similar way. Williams and McLaren both failed in going radical, and whilst the former wallowed in relative mediocrity, the latter started off worse but improved, albeit all too late. Renault lost their technical direction and then tore themselves apart. A little by default, BAR stepped up to the plate splendidly, but really only ever managed to get 80% of the job done.

Perhaps disillusioned by Ferrari's dominance and the inadequacies of their own teams, it was not a particularly impressive year on the driving front. Only Michael and Jenson Button lived up to or exceeded the expectations and hype that had been created, especially after 2003. A low-quality season in the rookie ranks was tempered by the fact that, of the other emerging young stars of the last few seasons, few were thoroughly consistent and all are still yet to reach full bloom in terms of their potential. That was frustrating; there were simply too few sparks to liven up too many dull races. For unlike, say, the dramatic Brazilian and British GPs last year, there was precious little this season to put the enthusiasts, let alone the casual fans, on the edge of their seats. Sporadic moments in the Monaco, USA, German, Belgian, Italian and Brazilian races were as close as we came to something that was 'exciting' and not just 'interesting', whereas the Hungarian GP must surely be one of the most boring races in the history of motorsport. The stupid one-engine rule clearly did not have one of its intended effects: instead of mixing up the field, it only created predictable, soporific super-reliability.

Indeed, whilst the rule changes at the start of 2003 had seemingly worked, the further amendments for this season turned out to be a disaster. Fridays turned out to be virtual non-events, and the less said about two hours of back-to-back qualifying - longer than a race time - the better. The complete overhaul of both the technical and sporting regulations for future years announced early in the season before the Spanish GP have now almost been forgotten as the intricate details for 2005 and 2006 have been painstakingly, painfully thrashed out - predictably slowly. Maybe it was just the comparative lack of action on the track, but the level of politics in the paddock reached alarming heights. It wasn't just a red corner, blue corner affair either. There was the FIA, caught up in its own internal jostling with Max Mosley's on-again, off-again resignation, the manufacturers still playing the breakaway-championship card, the clamorous voices of privateer battlers Eddie Jordan and Paul Stoddart, and Bernie Ecclestone and Formula One Management. Positional changes in this game surely happened a lot faster than on the circuit. Who agreed with whom depended on the issue and what was at stake.

A few reviews ago we described it as "brinkmanship", and it was definitely that. There was brinkmanship over rules for next year and beyond. There was brinkmanship over driver contracts, especially the Button saga. There was brinkmanship over the survival of races, which hasn't been resolved. And there was also brinkmanship over the survival of teams, with Ford putting Jaguar and Cosworth up for sale in a clear warning to the sport, Red Bull stepping in to buy the remains at the eleventh hour, and Jordan and Minardi just staying alive. F1's not for the faint-hearted ? and that's not just the driving bit. And so what of 2005? Heavily reduced aerodynamics may slow cars down by 4-5 seconds, whilst the apparent prohibition of tyre changes and the one-engine-per-two-races rule also look likely to increase lap times. Is it enough of a fresh start, even before more radical rules for 2006 come in, to bring everyone back to more of a level playing field? Perhaps also the driver changes with Juan-Pablo Montoya at McLaren, Mark Webber at Williams and Giancarlo Fisichella at Renault in particular will give those teams a new impetus as they try to end the Ferrari dominance. We can only hope.

Here are our team reviews for the season, ranked here according to a rating out of 10 awarded by us. We have taken into consideration their equipment, past form, luck (or lack thereof) and, just as importantly, our initial expectations for 2004.

10. Toyota

That a team with a budget comparable to Williams or McLaren's could finish 8th in the constructors' championship with only 9 points was, in anyone's language, a gross under-achievement that leaves them at the bottom of our rankings. It was also as much proof as BAR's first few years that money is no guarantee of success. Though the TF104 and its 'B' version were reliable, with only a handful of mechanical retirements all season, the car was flawed aerodynamically, as Gustav Brunner continued his succession of disappointingly less-than-brilliant designs for the Cologne-based team. Also frustrating was the fact that, when Mika Salo and Allan McNish were turfed out at the end of 2002, that was meant to mark the fresh start that earned results. However, that also turned out to be a false start, as this year, possibly at new recruit Mike Gascoyne's doing, the personnel changes came thick and fast. Cristiano da Matta went, as did backroom stalwarts Ange Pasquali and Norbert Kreyer, while Ove Andersson's role was severely cut. By year's end, Olivier Panis had been pensioned off into a test role, and, even if they didn't dump him, they were looking to farm Ryan Briscoe out as well.

The positive side was that Toyota was undoubtedly drawing together a team of reputable names that promises progress, but by now they've wasted three years in F1. Gascoyne showed that his developmental nous is still there as the TF104B did indeed mark a significant step forward, whilst the Toyota engine remained one of the best, envied by potential customer teams like Jordan. However, the red and white cars still faltered too many times at starts, and tactically the team was weak, as more often than not they fell down the order as races progressed. Prospects for 2005. It's make or break time for Toyota. Gascoyne will have greater input into Brunner's TF105 design. New drivers Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli will hopefully be motivated - not just by their salaries - and at their rapid best. They must aim to leave Sauber behind and occasionally make it a six-way battle at the front. Rating: 4/10

9. Minardi Cosworth

It would be unfair to be too critical of this gallant Italian team, whose annual budget is probably around what Michael Schumacher himself earns. After all, they occasionally got close enough to the pace, for example where Zsolt Baumgartner's qualifying time in Brazil would have put him on pole the previous year. And of course the Hungarian scored a lucky point at Indianapolis. But that was more an exception than the rule in 2004, as the black and white machines proved around 4-5 seconds adrift of the best, and, in a year when reliability was generally brilliant, Minardi's was noticeably poor. All can be explained, of course, by their budgetary constraints, which forced them to run a modified version of last year's car, which was prehistoric aerodynamically, and which underwent no development. The PS04B also seemed like a very unstable machine, although perhaps that also had something to do with its drivers' inadequacies. The engine was also outdated and more often than not got changed on Saturday night. One got the impression that parts were used right to the edge of breaking point. The death of sporting director John Walton only added a huge dose of salt to already gaping wounds.

None of that necessarily counts against them, but what else made it a poor season? For one, Stoddart's choice of drivers, both race and test, proved decidedly uninspiring, which only exacerbated their lack of results. The ugly split with sponsors Wilux seems to have been caused by a lack of sensitivity on the part of all concerned. Stoddart also continued to appear more worried about railing against the establishment than improving his own team. We didn't expect much from Minardi this year, but we did hope that they would do more than just be content with sulkily treading water. Prospects for 2005. Minardi were meant to get up-to-date Cosworths next year, but then that went into limbo. Now, with Cosworth being sold to Kevin Kalkhoven and Gerald Forsythe, the deal's on again. That's good news. But let's hope they employ more dynamic drivers, improve the chassis significantly, and make a better fist of next season. Rating: 4.5/10

8. Jordan Ford

The fall and fall of Jordan continued in 2004. Before the season started there was confident talk that the EJ 14 had made huge aerodynamic gains over its predecessor, and that they team could compete for 5th in the constructors' title. Both predictions proved well wide of the mark. Fortuitous points at Monaco and Canada could not disguise the fact that the car was cumbersome to handle, slow in a straight line thanks to a down-on-power Cosworth, and one of the most unreliable in the field, with notoriously troublesome hydraulics and 11 mechanical retirements in total. Tactically they were astute, occasionally moving into competitive midfield positions by using heavier fuel loads, but in other areas they were less so. Their 11th hour choice of Giorgio Pantano not only brought a driver who had difficulty paying, but who was also the worst under-performer in the field. By contrast, testers Timo Glock and even Robert Doornbos proved much more impressive. Eddie Jordan also somehow avoided a PR disaster when he vetoed Nick Heidfeld from deputising for Ralf Schumacher at Williams, whilst the stop-start attempts to sign Jos Verstappen proved a futile waste of time.

Where you'd think EJ's charm would prove effective, Jordan was noticeably weak: in obtaining sponsorship. Compared to Minardi, they were unable to attract small backers, and were left with displaying those obscure messages from Bahrain. Rumours abounded that they were going to lose their one remaining commercial asset from their glory days of 1999, their Benson & Hedges support. No wonder EJ spent much of the year looking to potential Middle East investors and new engine suppliers, after tension with Cosworth, in order to start afresh in 2005. But that meant Jordan's eyes were off the ball in 2004. Prospects for 2005. Jordan have been more pro-active about gearing up for 2005 than Minardi. With Toyota engines, maybe Ryan Briscoe driving, engineer Mark Smith from Renault, and having begun testing on 2005 regulations early, they may bounce back a little. More money, and new investors, would be the most helpful thing though. Rating: 4.5/10

7. Jaguar Cosworth

Ford's decision to put Jaguar up for sale may have come as something of a surprise, and certainly as a wake-up call to the rest of the sport. Just as there were suggestions that Ford would up the ante and run the team under its own name, Detroit's withdrawal signalled that, yes, the manufacturers could indeed leave at will. But in truth, by the time 2004 had come around, Ford's investment was limited and half-hearted anyway, to the point where they had to hire Christian Klien for his $10 million of Red Bull money, a decision David Pitchforth came to regret as the season wore on. The restricted cashflow was such that, even though last year under the likes of Pitchforth and Tony Purnell Jaguar finally seemed to be heading in the right direction, little was heard from them this season. In hindsight it was clear that the team was in no more than a holding pattern, with little development of the R5 as 2004 progressed. Moreover, the R5 had not ironed out some of the R4's inherent defects. Notably, it still heated up its tyres too quickly, which meant great speed over one lap, like Webber's qualifying stunners in Australia and Malaysia, but which also meant debilitating tyre wear in races.

There were few repeats of those one-lap specials, although by taking the car to the edge of the top 10 regularly in qualifying and race, Webber extracted as much as there was from the Cat. Jaguar also continued to be shocking off the line, the latest Cosworth lost out in the grunt stakes, and there were too many retirements at inopportune times. Plus the team failed to manage their drivers' instincts; Webber and Klien picked up four 'Reject of the Race' awards between them. Although everyone was dedicated and worked hard to the end, the dream (nightmare?) of Jaguar as the British Ferrari was finally over. Prospects for 2005. Red Bull's last minute purchase of the team looks like just a change of ownership and name. Pitchforth and Purnell will still be running the show. Cosworth also being sold also ensures the engine supply. But the team will go from manufacturer-backed to privateer status. Results improvement would be unlikely. Rating: 4.5/10

6. Williams BMW

Everywhere you look, 2004 was a disappointment for Williams. Like last year, the chassis missed the mark from the outset; unlike last year, it took a lot longer to diagnose and fix the FW26's deficiencies. Too long, in fact. The twin-keel design and the walrus nose, whilst plausible in theory, proved to be a dismal failure, and the return to a more traditional nosecone marked a distinct upturn in fortunes. By year's end, it was no surprise that aerodynamicist Antonia Terzi had been dumped. Reliability was generally good, with the exception of an occasionally troublesome gearbox. But how much of Williams' drop in performance down to the car, and how much down to their drivers? In Juan-Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher, the Grove team had quite simply the most unmotivated pair in the paddock. Though hardened observers admire their approach of letting drivers fend for themselves and never coaxing them, perhaps they could have pro-actively extracted more out of not only them, but stand-ins Marc Gené and Antonio Pizzonia as well. When JPM felt like he had something to play for in Brazil, he won the race. Oh, and Williams failed to get Jenson Button for 2005 ...

The administrative reshuffle which saw Sam Michael replace Patrick Head as technical director was probably necessary, but the fashion in which it was done was rather rushed and sudden. The disqualifications in Canada and the USA, though not the Australian's fault, nonetheless showed that organisationally things had gone out of kilter. In BMW and Mario Thiessen, Williams also had the most outspoken manufacturer partner of any team. Not only did BMW lose the horsepower race to Ferrari and Honda, but their at-times threatening noises about withdrawal brought instability when calm was needed. Prospects for 2005. Having Mark Webber in the team will give everyone at both BMW and Williams fresh incentive, so 2005 should see a return to form. Loic Bigois is a solid aero chief to bring on board. But whoever the second driver is, he will have to cope with knowing that he wasn't a first choice and will probably make way for Button in 2006. Rating: 5/10

5. McLaren Mercedes

What happens when you have a car which is down on power, can't brake steadily for corners, and can't handle through turns properly? You get the McLaren MP4/19, which, frankly, was an embarrassment. If the unraced MP4/18A had been problematic, one would have expected all its failings to have been rectified by the time MP4/19 was born. Incredibly, they weren't; the chassis remained too radical, too extreme, and therefore too flimsy. Even more amazingly, the MP4/19 had started testing in November last year, but the issues were barely identified, let alone fixed, through the off-season. And that's before we get to the topic of reliability. In the quest to make up the power deficit, the new Mercedes engine was a pyrotechnics display waiting to happen, with five detonations in races, four for Kimi Raikkonen, and numerous more in practice and test sessions. But while the litany of engine failures caught most of the attention, in the races alone there was a broken gearbox in Malaysia, a pneumatics failure in Bahrain, an electrical problem in Hungary, a water leak in Italy, and most notably Raikkonen's rear wing failure in Germany. Reliability was an issue all around, not just at Ilmor.

But, whereas the starting base line was substantially worse than, say, Williams, McLaren and Mercedes admirably bit the bullet and got their act together. The MP4/19B was developed in double-quick time, and immediately was a competitive proposition that could take wins and podiums. The engines stopped blowing so regularly, and the triumph at Spa was well-deserved. With luck, it may not have been the 19B's only victory either. While there was no excusing the mistakes that allowed the execrable MP4/19 onto the track, their improvement in the second half of the year redeemed them somewhat. Prospects for 2005. The whole 18A/19 disaster has set them back a full two seasons, but things are now in place for McLaren to return to more regular race-winning form. Raikkonen and Montoya are polar opposites, and could breed an intense rivalry. But Ron Dennis has seen it before, and knows how to harness it to get results on the track. Rating: 5.5/10

4. Sauber Petronas

True, Sauber were once again running Ferrari hand-me-downs in terms of the C23's engines and gearboxes, but let's end the myth that that alone brought about their very creditable showing in 2004. An unchallenged 6th in the constructors' title, they could well have come 5th had McLaren persisted with their MP4/19 all season. With the car's reliability not in issue, all season it was no surprise to see a Sauber picking up what minor points crumbs the top teams had left. And occasionally, like Giancarlo Fisichella's great drive at Spa, the C23 was well capable of mixing it with the major guns. Strategy was one of Sauber's main weapons throughout the season. On numerous occasions, certainly more often than any other team, the Swiss outfit was prepared to sacrifice grid position for heavy fuel loads and long stints that invariably moved them up the order substantially. In the latter stages of the year, Felipe Massa especially went for some low-fuel qualifying glory runs, but this was more an exception than the norm. Excellent pit work was integral to their tactics, as was a commendable collaboration with Bridgestone, despite their plans to switch to Michelin in 2005.

More impressive still was the way that Sauber maintained development as the year progressed, unlike in previous seasons, thanks no doubt to their wind tunnel at Hinwil. Despite McLaren and Williams getting much stronger and more reliable in the second half of the year, Sauber actually scored more points in the last nine races than they did in the first nine. Peter Sauber also raised his reputation and did more for privateer teams than Eddie Jordan and Paul Stoddart's blustering by scoring the coup of signing Jacques Villeneuve, and siding against Ferrari in the nine teams' pact in Brazil. Prospects for 2005. The bad news is, Sauber's results are at the mercy of how the bigger teams fare. Or is that not giving them enough credit? Switching to Michelins and building their own gearboxes is a risk, while Villeneuve's form remains under question. Money issues may also emerge as Red Bull departs to take over the remnants of Jaguar. Rating: 7/10

3. Renault

2004 was both an impressive and frustrating season for Renault in equal measures. Last season their weakness was a lack of power from their 110-degree engine. Reverting to a more traditional layout resolved that to a degree, even if the motor was based on an old design. Their start systems were easily the best, Fernando Alonso gaining six positions in one hit at Indy. However, the better straight-line speed was achieved at the expense of aerodynamic and chassis balance, the hallmark of last year's R23. The understeer on Bob Bell's bulbous R24 reached dramatic proportions, most memorably in Spain. Renault had more weekends when they looked like toppling Ferrari than any other team, notably in Monaco, France and to a lesser extent Belgium, but conversely when they weren't on race-winning pace they were likely to be off the podium as well, scoring only six rostrum finishes to BAR's eleven. In other words, it seemed a true reflection that eventually they were decisively beaten by BAR. With the smallest budget amongst the top teams, development seemed to tail off, and in the last few races they were struggling to match the speed of BAR and McLaren, let alone Ferrari.

A further downer was Flavio Briatore's sense of man-management, or lack thereof. Not only did the drain of engineering staff to other teams continue, seemingly without concern on Briatore's part, but then the fall-out with Jarno Trulli was just plain ugly. Even if Jarno went off the boil after that, it seemed likely that he was getting inferior equipment, and for a leading team that is simply immature behaviour. The gamble on Jacques Villeneuve didn't work, but they weren't to know that at the time. In the end, the second car scored no points after France, and 2nd in the constructors' title was lost. Prospects for 2005. Whilst McLaren, Williams and BAR kept making gains as the season progressed, Renault rather stood still. Do they have the resources and staff to keep moving forward in 2005? Or have they reached their performance ceiling? It will be interesting to see. But Fisichella deserves a car worthy of his ability and consistency. Rating: 7/10

2. BAR Honda

Like them or loathe them, it was a joy to see BAR making the genuine step up to top team status in 2004, and an awesome vindication of David Richards' management methods. In terms of a synergy amongst all the elements of the team, only Ferrari did it better. Unlike Renault, McLaren and Williams, which all went for radical chassis that failed to varying degrees, Geoff Willis' 005 was conservative, but good-looking, effective and easy to handle. Instead of fixing problems, the team could spend time working on other innovations, like their fantastic all carbon-fibre gearbox. Honda finally awoke from their slumber to recapture their successful philosophies of old, producing perhaps the engine of the year, pumping out over 19,000 rpm and possibly over 950 horsepower. Despite early setbacks, the engine proved reliable as well. On the driving front, the team steadily refined Takuma Sato, but more importantly, they got the best out of Jenson Button, resulting in 85 points, ten podiums and one pole from him alone. That they continued to co-operate harmoniously during the Williams contract saga spoke volumes to their professionalism, putting Renault to shame for their tiff with Trulli.

But for all their wonderful achievements, question marks hung over the team, and not without reason. How much of their 'best of the rest' status was down to others stumbling? For whilst Renault, McLaren and Williams all walked away from 2004 with a victory, BAR had the chances to do so, but not once could convert those podiums into a win. Their pit work was not as efficient as their rivals', and at crucial moments like when they needed to make up time or protect track position during pit stop sequences, they seemed to lack that killer instinct. But 2nd in the constructors' title was well-deserved. Prospects for 2005. Everyone else will improve over the off-season, so BAR and Honda must keep up the momentum, and there seems no reason why they can't. There's also no reason why they won't continue to work well with Button, whatever his future plans will be. But frustration will build if that first victory doesn't come next season. Rating: 8.5/10

1. Ferrari

What can you say? Just when everyone was predicting that the time had come for Ferrari to be beaten, the Maranello machine put its head down in the off-season. Ross Brawn and Rory Byrne returned to a 2002-style wheelbase for the F2004. Paolo Martinelli and Gilles Simon kept eking out ever more power from the engine. Bridgestone licked its wounds and developed a tyre perfectly suited to the characteristics of both driver and car. Add to that a Michael Schumacher in relentless, merciless form as long as the championship remained alive, and the final scoresheets speak for themselves. There was hardly a chink in the armour. The car handled near-perfectly, and the engine was at the forefront in the power and reliability stakes. There was hardly a mechanical problem to speak of during races, let alone a single mechanical retirement. The tyres worked in both cool and warm conditions, although mother nature was kind, in that there was hardly a Michelin-suiting, blisteringly hot race day all season. It gave the team the confidence to experiment tactically, as they did in France and Britain, while the burn from the stern at Monza showed their superiority to jaw-dropping effect.

But there were still lingering errors. Strategically they were slow to respond at Monaco and Brazil and lost both those races. On opening laps they remained vulnerable, not being able to generate heat into the tyres quite quick enough. And, after both titles were sewn up, the intensity level unusually dropped, especially on Schumacher's part. But in the end, there was no arguing against 15 wins out of 18, 12 poles, 14 fastest laps, and 262 points. Their superiority was up there at 2002 levels, perhaps even better. There was simply no more dominant force in sport anywhere in the world this year. Prospects for 2005. Regardless of the further rule changes, Ferrari have built up such a margin that they will start as title favourites, although there is renewed hope that they might be toppled. Continuity and stability will also work in their favour. But the other teams are starting to gang up against them - to what effect, time will tell. Rating: 9.5/10

Here are our driver reviews for the season, ranked here according to a rating out of 10 awarded by us. We have taken into consideration their equipment, past form, luck (or lack thereof) and, just as importantly, our initial expectations for 2004.

Marc Gené

Unlike the Italian GP last year, when the Spaniard filled in for Ralf Schumacher and impressively came home 5th, given a similar opportunity at Magny-Cours and Silverstone this year, he only finished 10th and 12th respectively. Williams then looked to Pizzonia instead. In fairness to the loyal tester, those two races coincided with the time when Williams was at its lowest trough this year before they started turning the corner. They didn't represent what he was capable of. Rumours have him becoming a tester for Ferrari in 2005; at any rate, there's no F1 race seat in the offing.

Timo Glock

The German's time with Jordan started inauspiciously, crashing at a Barcelona test. But piloting their third car on Fridays, he learnt the car and built up speed. He was rewarded when he was called in at short notice to deputise for Pantano in Canada, and after a mistake-free drive came home 11th on the road, which became 7th and two points after the disqualifications. Three more steady drives at year's end, each netting a 15th place, but 6th fastest on Friday in the wet at Suzuka, suggested that he ought to have raced the Jordan all along. Deserves another chance with them in 2005.

Antonio Pizzonia

Question marks remain over 'Jungle Boy'. Given four races with Williams, it was unclear whether he would still bear the scars of his thrashing by Mark Webber at Jaguar in 2003. Though he came 7th in Germany, he was beaten there by the Aussie too, and his comments about his treatment by Jaguar were distasteful. Another 7th in Hungary was followed by an excellent drive at Spa, where he could have come 3rd, but he followed it up by over-driving at Monza. Supposedly on top of the list to partner Webber again in 2004, but on strength of evidence it would be a very risky choice.

Jacques Villeneuve

Whether or not you're a fan of the Canadian, it was good to have the ex-champion back. But sadly, a lapped 10th, 11th and 11th in his three races suggested that it was taking him too long to get back up to speed. He admitted a lack of race fitness himself. But to be fair, this was a difficult, understeering Renault that didn't suit his style, plus the car was starting to go backwards by the time he sat it in, and it was the notorious - inferior? - second car as well. Has he still got it? Who knows? But at Sauber next year he will have a less-pressurised environment to answer that question.

Ricardo Zonta

Given five races at the end of the season as part of Toyota's merry-go-round of drivers, the Brazilian showed that he was little more than the journeyman he had become since his early days with BAR. The lack of regular racing had taken the edge off him, and all along he knew he was just keeping the seat warm for someone else. Suffered Toyota's only race engine failure with three laps to go at Spa, heart-breakingly when lying in a brilliant 4th, but in a race of attrition he was lucky to be there at all. Admittedly, by year's end the TF104B was going nowhere. Returns to testing duties in 2005.

20. Giorgio Pantano

For a man who had been a winner in F3000, and who had been dubbed a mercurial talent, the Italian's 14 races for Jordan were frustrating for observers hoping for a flash of inspiration from him. One can only guess what effect it had on Eddie Jordan, who no doubt chose him for his money - which he was slow on delivering anyway - and for his reputed speed, which simply didn't materialise. Fed up with his under-performing racer, EJ replaced him with Glock in Canada, who promptly scored two points on debut, and then kicked him out for good with three races in the season left.

Though he was unlucky in terms of the EJ14's reliability, Pantano could do no better than 15th quickest in Saturday qualifying, and finished no higher than 13th. Either he was too conservative, or when he pushed harder more often than not he went over the limit. His spin into retirement at Silverstone, after he mindlessly put half his car out onto the grass, was the height of silliness, and he crashed into Bruni at Spa even though he may well have avoided the Minardi. Driving for Jordan this year was not an easy task, but his first season in F1 was a test which he failed dismally. An undisputed 'Reject of the Year'.

Prospects for 2005. Unfortunately Pantano now has form, for on-track performances and for bringing sponsorship money. That form isn't good. Not to worry; there's no shortage of junior open-wheeler categories for him to choose from next year. As long as he can find another portfolio of sponsors, GP2 or Formula Superfund beckons. Rating: 3.5/10

19. Gianmaria Bruni

Another Italian rookie, another disappointment. Bruni arrived from European F3000 after some impressive runs as Minardi's Friday tester in 2003, with hopes that he would prove to be a talent, and not just a pay driver. Unfortunately, Gimmi was unable or unwilling to extend himself beyond the quality of his car, which was rather miserable to begin with. Admittedly, he suffered all manner of reliability issues and incidents, from brake and gearbox failures to losing a front wheel in China, from being hit by his team-mate at Spa to his pit fire at Monza, all of which probably dented his confidence.

What appeared to be most frustrating, though, was his attitude. Expected to ritually hammer his lowly-rated team-mate in Zsolt Baumgartner, even if he was generally faster than the Hungarian, he was content to saunter through a race weekend, and from race to race, which was in contrast to Baumgartner's diligent and hard-working approach. That wasn't just our impression; Wilux boss Ruud Wildschut was scathing in his condemnation, and even Paul Stoddart hinted that he could pull his finger out a little more. Minardi didn't need to be just carrying someone along for the ride.

Prospects for 2005. To be fair, Bruni's reputation hasn't been shot down in flames like Pantano's, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see him get a second chance with Minardi. But, obviously, so much depends on money. Alternatively, there's a range of other open-wheeler categories he could handily slot into, and he'd make a good sportscar driver too. Rating: 4.5/10

18. Cristiano da Matta

At first glance down the 2004 results sheet, Cristiano's record in his twelve races this season before Toyota gave him the boot doesn't look that bad. His average grid position was around 11th or 12th, roughly where his car ought to have been. His finishing record was creditable, and he added another three points with 6th place at Monaco. But this was a former Champ Car series winner. This was last year's rookie of the year, a man who qualified 3rd at Suzuka, led comfortably at Silverstone, and battled a Williams at Barcelona. Frankly, we expected more improvement from the Brazilian.

It was an evenly average year in terms of driving quality, with all our drivers ranked from 18th to 4th scoring between 5 and 7 out of 10. Added to that the high reliability rate, and drivers needed to produce the occasional special something to catch the attention. Da Matta failed to register a blip on the radar all year. Perhaps disillusioned by the inadequacies of his car, but more likely wallowing in self-doubt as he continued to over-analyse his inability to get used to F1 cornering technique, with Toyota lining up their drivers for 2005 it was probably a relief for all concerned that his tenure ended early.

Prospects for 2005. Reports suggest that Cristiano is trying to get a budget together to return to Champ cars with Newman Haas next year. It would be good to see him go back there. It would bolster that series' credibility, and da Matta is more likely to flourish in an environment where he feels comfortable. In F1 he was a fish out of water. Rating: 5/10

17. Olivier Panis

There are few friendlier people in the pit lane than the veteran Frenchman, but sadly, 2004 was a season too many for Olivier. Yes Toyota needed a good car developer, but perhaps what they needed more was someone who could provide a spark on Sunday afternoons. And despite his reputation for being a strong racer, Panis' race efforts this year were all too placid. Though he still had a good turn of speed, qualifying in the top ten on no fewer than eight occasions, only three points finishes and six points, four of them in the attrition-hit USA GP, was a poor conversion rate.

Either his grid positions were wasted by problems getting off the line, or disappointing mid-race speed and/or poor strategy would see him fall down the field on race day. Races like those at the Nurburgring, in Shanghai and at Suzuka, where his opening stint boded well only for him to fade into anonymity, typified his season. After establishing his reputation up to 1997, and enhancing it as McLaren tester in 2000, it was somewhat painful to watch his steadily decline in the last four seasons as a force to be reckoned with. The 2004 season was not the kind of legacy Panis deserved to leave.

Prospects for 2005. Olivier will continue with Toyota in 2005, out of the limelight and doing what he's probably best at these days, testing and developing rather than racing. Instead of being required to inspire the team forward, there's Gascoyne, Trulli and Ralf Schumacher to do that. In a support role, he will be more in his element. Rating: 5/10

16. Zsolt Baumgartner

It may come as a surprise that the Hungarian did not make it onto our 'Reject of the Year' podium. No, Baumgartner was not good enough to deserve his place in the top flight, but frankly he won the paddock's respect - as well as ours - as someone who was aware of his abilities, who had a diligent and strong work ethic, and who pleasantly surprised with his improvement as the season wore on, to the point where he was within 3 seconds of pole in Brazil. As we keep saying, but it is worth repeating here, that time would have been good enough for pole at Interlagos last year.

In addition, he provided one of the feel-good moments of 2004 when he scored a point in 8th place for his beleaguered team at Indianapolis, albeit by default. Even if he spun out of races three times, usually he was able to keep his car safely and consistently on the road, and his finishing record was generally good. Polite whilst being lapped, at the end of the day, even if he remained a pay driver in every sense of the term, he exceeded everyone's expectations, set and achieved realistic targets, and deserved to finish the season free of the derision his participation received at the start of the year.

Prospects for 2005. Baumgartner wants to continue in F1 in 2005 in some capacity, even as a tester, but even he concedes it will be hard to find the kind of backing that secured his drive this year. Still, the experience he's gained this year will hold him in good stead, should he decide to step down into one of the new junior categories. Rating: 5/10

15. Christian Klien

By default the 2004 rookie of the year, the baby-faced, earring-wearing Austrian showed he was not out of his depth in F1, but also showed that there wasn't enough promise for Jaguar to have taken him other than for his Red Bull money. Though he was on the wrong end of a 15 to 3 qualifying battle with team-mate Webber, he started all bar two races between 10th and 15th. Suffering only one mechanical retirement in Barcelona, when he settled into a race rhythm he consistently brought the Jaguar home, not necessarily at earth-shattering pace, but culminating in a fortunate 6th in Belgium.

Trouble was, in those moments when he didn't settle down he was liable to get caught up in incidents. He collided with Heidfeld in Monaco, got caught up in first corner fracas in both North American races, got hit by Coulthard and Michael Schumacher at Spa and Shanghai, and took off his team-mate in Jaguar's farewell race in Brazil. His early dice with Raikkonen in Bahrain was one of the more memorable moments of the season, but also typified how Klien tended to get over-aggressive in both attack and defence whilst battling with another driver. By year's end, there was still much improving to do.

Prospects for 2005. As one of Red Bull's ordained drivers, with the energy drink company having bought out the remnants of Jaguar, Klien has a decent chance of staying in F1. Otherwise he is likely to get overlooked. Having said that, Red Bull might still prefer the likes of Liuzzi and Allmendinger. Christian may yet be left out in the cold. Rating: 5.5/10

14. Nick Heidfeld

It's hard to know exactly what to make of the quiet German's season. The statistics show that on average he was a tiny bit better than 16th in Saturday qualifying, which either means that he was consistently beating one midfield rival, or, as is more likely, there was always at least one car that didn't record a time on Saturday. A shocking run with reliability in the first half of the season was tempered by two points-scoring results in Monaco and Canada, but while the finishing record improved in the last nine races, not once did he finish in the top ten.

Here's what the statistics don't say. In the pre-season, it was largely Heidfeld's technical feedback that made the recalcitrant Jordan as good as it could possibly have been. Nick unstintingly extracted as much as he could from the car all season - albeit no more than that, I'm afraid. Generally he lapped consistently, and when he was mixing it in the midfield, like at the Nurburgring, he looked at ease. He also didn't publicly express his hurt when Eddie Jordan stopped him from going to Williams to stand in for Ralf Schumacher. Perhaps he understood that that was really backhanded praise from EJ.

Prospects for 2005. Memo to Williams: please give Heidfeld the seat alongside Mark Webber. He's not inconsistent like Pizzonia, inexperienced like Davidson, nor old like Coulthard. He can do a perfectly consistent points-gathering job, and his speed is not shabby at all. It would be scandalous to see him miss out on a top drive yet again. Rating: 6/10

13. Ralf Schumacher

At the start of the year, Autosport assistant editor David Malsher predicted that Ralf Schumacher would win the world championship. If the Williams was good enough, then assuming that Ralf would be his usual consistent self, and if the German also pulled out a few more of those special drives we know he's capable of, then a title win was not beyond the bounds of possibility. If nothing else, his contract negotiations with Williams should have been incentive for him to perform, right? But not only was the car nowhere near good enough, but Ralf also fell into more of a slumber than usual.

Instead of those negotiations spurring him to greater heights, he and Willi Weber overplayed their hand and asked for too much money, then backed it up with rubbish like Ralf's brainless drive in Bahrain. As discussions broke down, he descended into a spiralling sequence of unmotivated drives and collisions, culminating in his horrific shunt at Indianapolis. On the positive side, after signing for Toyota for 2005 his return races had a little bit more life, and he could point to two sterling races in Canada and Japan, as we've come to expect. But it was nowhere near enough for a driver of his ability.

Prospects for 2005. The last time he switched teams, he was almost driver of the year for Williams in 1999. Perhaps the challenge of taking Toyota to the top, with a competitive team-mate in Jarno Trulli, will push him to perform more at his best, more of the time. It's the least that Toyota's paying him the megabucks for. Rating: 6/10

12. Felipe Massa

The Brazilian ranks as highly as he does on the strength of the back end of his season, when finally he began delivering on all that promise he's supposed to have. After a year as a Ferrari tester, he came back to F1 slightly less wild, more able to keep his Sauber on the road, but at the cost of his speed. Though he recorded five top ten finishes in the first half of the season, not once did he qualify in the top ten and on five occasions in succession he started 15th or lower. We described him as descending into anonymity, which was perhaps worse than being known as fast but erratic.

Massa turned the corner at Silverstone though, in a solid race that saw him start 10th and finish 9th. Though his qualifying performances for the rest of the season fluctuated, including two 4ths in China and Brazil when he did his hot lap on relatively low fuel, his race performances suggested that his inherent speed was back, as he started to match team-mate Fisichella. He proved to be an adept passer, making several daring and memorable moves, especially on Raikkonen in Melbourne, although he was relatively easy to pass himself. But clearly, this rough diamond was being refined.

Prospects for 2005. Massa should go into next season with increasing confidence. He can now stay on the track and still go quite quickly. There is no reason why he can't match and even beat Jacques Villeneuve in equal machinery in 2005. He may cause the Canadian's star to permanently wane as his own continues on the rise. Rating: 6/10

11. Juan-Pablo Montoya

Having decided last year on a huff that he would drive for McLaren in 2005, there is no reason to doubt that the Colombian was desperate to leave Williams with the world title in 2004. But it soon became abundantly clear that the quality of the FW26 would thwart his chances. Podiums in Malaysia and San Marino, and almost one in Bahrain as well were it not for a last-gasp gearbox problem, had him in the fight for 3rd overall, but then a DNF in Spain, collisions with the Schumachers at Monaco and the Nurburgring, and the double-disqualification in Canada and the USA stopped his points-scoring momentum.

At that point, Williams was at its lowest ebb. Although the team regrouped towards the end of the year, by this point JPM had well and truly nothing to play for. His second half of the season saw one retirement and eight points finishes, but they included an 8th, a 7th, four 5ths and a 4th. Although still able to pull out a banzai lap, in races he was giving 95% at best. But when he did have something to aim for in Brazil, to give Williams a farewell present, we all know what happened. Overall, a consistent scoring year, by no means a hard-trying one, but we could sympathise with his plight.

Prospects for 2005. This is going to be good: Montoya and Raikkonen duking it out in resurgent McLarens. JPM has to be careful that his emotion doesn't get the better of him. Ron Dennis isn't into that kind of stuff, and at the end of the day Kimi is his favoured son. How well JPM settles in at his new team will dictate how well he goes in 2005. Rating: 6/10

10. David Coulthard

On paper, this was perhaps the Scot's least convincing season thus far. It was the first time he had failed to get onto the podium during the season, and he wound up only 10th in the championship with a meagre 24 points. There were only glimpses of his inherent speed, and although he became more accustomed to one-lap qualifying, he still wasn't brilliant at it. In the latter half of the season, whilst in Raikkonen's hands the MP4/19B became a potential race-winner, DC managed no better than 4th at Hockenheim, and on several occasions he couldn't make a heavy-fuel strategy work, like in Italy and China.

But by far Coulthard's most valuable attribute in 2004 was his consistency. Nurburgring aside, he started all but four races between 8th and 12th, and the other four he started in the top six. With better reliability than Kimi, he finished twelve times in the top ten, including a run from Canada to China in which he finished every race between 4th and 9th. Whilst usually speed is valued more highly than consistency, especially at the start of the season when the team got desperate and Raikkonen got flustered, DC was ultra-professional, the rock that stabilised the team. He was what his team needed him to be.

Prospects for 2005. DC knew all season that he was looking for new employment in 2005. His main hope went with the demise of Jaguar, and now it looks like teams won't have to run third cars. He's made a pitch for Williams, but they don't seem interested. Unless he takes a test role, this could be the end of a very good but not great F1 career. Rating: 6/10

9. Fernando Alonso

By usual standards, it was not a bad year for the Spaniard, who equalled his tally of four podiums from 2003, moved his championship position up from 6th to 4th, and bettered his total points haul from last year. It was just that we expected so much more. Last season, in an eminently driveable and well-handling car, he astonished everyone with his mid-race speed that regularly vaulted him up the order. This year that pace seemed to disappear with the understeering characteristics of the R24, and Alonso was left as merely a consistent points-scorer with twelve points finishes, all between 2nd and 7th.

In truth, while Trulli's heart was still in it and Renault gave him the machinery to match, Alonso was being shaded by his team-mate in both qualifying and race. Fernando's one-lap performances this year were up-and-down, and with three races to go he was still yet to pass Trulli's points tally, although the Italian had not scored for five events. Alonso's year was also marked by some displays of impetuosity and carelessness, like when he threw it away at Monza, and some of which verged on arrogance, like his ill-directed anger towards Webber in Bahrain and towards Ralf Schumacher at Monaco.

Prospects for 2005. Alonso needs to regain his spark in 2005, even if his car isn't the best. He needs to emerge from the comfort of being Briatore's anointed one, and be more than just a points accumulator. Fisichella as team-mate threatens to be even more competitive than Trulli was this year. Fernando needs to watch out. Rating: 6.5/10

8. Mark Webber

This was an awfully frustrating season for Mark. All season, he drove at 110% and maximised his Jaguar's potential. There was no better evidence of that than in qualifying, where he started 14th three times, but otherwise always started 12th or higher. The sixth or seventh row was roughly where the R5 belonged, so it meant that the Australian was always reaching the limit of his car's ability, or exceeding it by his own immense speed and skill. His hot laps in Australia and Malaysia, and to a lesser extent his lap in Japan, were amongst the best on-the-edge, banzai laps all season.

But in a year when points were hard to come by, whenever he was in a good position to score, events conspired against him. He had mechanical problems in Melbourne and Monaco, and at Imola and Indy, all when points were within reach, and his seat heated up mysteriously at Suzuka. When his car was reliable, so were others. Then Webber himself made uncharacteristic mistakes in races, like his debacles at Sepang and Spa, both of which earned him 'Reject of the Race'. The way he remained loyal to Jaguar to the very end was admirable though, despite greener pastures at Williams coming up.

Prospects for 2005. Webber at Williams is one of the most exciting driver combos next year, the no-nonsense Aussie with the no-nonsense team. Will they bring back the glory days of Alan Jones? Without getting too carried away, the first target is Mark's maiden podium finish, then his maiden win - both of which are definitely achievable in 2005. Rating: 6.5/10

7. Jarno Trulli

This was a season in two parts for the pineapple-haired Italian. Up to the French GP, he was one of the drivers of the year. Finally combining solid race pace with blistering qualifying speed, he was scoring points with ease as team-mate Alonso faltered. He beat Fernando to the podium on the latter's home soil in Spain, and backed it up with one of the drives of the year to take an assured maiden win in Monaco. Add to that four 4ths, two 5ths and a 7th, and Jarno looked like finishing at least 4th in the championship, leaving his much-vaunted stablemate in his wake. But then came Magny-Cours.

There, he asked to leave Flavio Briatore's management at the same time as renegotiating his Renault contract - a horrible political move. He then lost a podium place on the last corner, and out of nowhere the battle lines between him and Briatore were drawn. His claims of inferior treatment thereafter were probably true, but his performances suggested that he himself had gone into an inexcusable stupor. His switch to Toyota brought him back to life a little, and even then, he maintained his perfect top ten qualifying record, apart from Indy where he started from the back of the grid.

Prospects for 2005. Jarno has finally developed into a well-rounded driver, but is he also a team motivator who can lift Toyota to greater heights? Either he or Ralf Schumacher, or preferably both of them, will have to. If the car performs, chances are now that Jarno will too. And most probably his consistency will shade Ralf's. Rating: 7/10

6. Takuma Sato

For the first half of the season at least, Taku-san was F1's Mr Excitement. He had speed to burn, occasionally matching and beating Jenson Button, even if the consistency was not there. 5th on the grid in Bahrain gave him the confidence over one lap, and it became 3rd in Spain and the front row at the Nurburgring. But whether it was as a result of his hard driving, or just an inherent defect in his Honda engines, the first ten races saw no less than six engine detonations during races, the notable at Monaco and his heart-breaker in the European GP. Plus we could be assured of the odd spin here and there.

But Indianapolis was a turning point. He qualified third, raced like a man possessed, pulled off several high-quality passing moves, and scored his maiden podium. From there the Japanese driver's race results became more consistent, with a brace of 6ths and 4ths. But strangely his pace fell slightly off his team-mate's, although his engines were staying intact. Were the two connected? At any rate, 8th in the championship and 34 points showed that he was worthy F1 material. However, did we prefer the hard-charging Taku or the consistent one who picked up points? Not sure.

Prospects for 2005. After an unnecessarily long wait, Sato was confirmed at BAR for 2005. If the package continues to improve, and if he continues to learn off Button, Sato's results can only improve. More podiums would not be out of the question, and perhaps the best result yet for a Japanese driver is just around the corner. Rating: 7/10

5. Giancarlo Fisichella

2004 was meant to be the year in which, by joining Sauber, Fisi gained a foothold in the Ferrari camp. Initially, things didn't look good though. Out-performed by team-mate Felipe Massa in the first three races, he then finished 9th at Imola having started 18th after not recording a time on Saturday. That seemed to rekindle his confidence in races. From Imola to the end of the season, a 12th and two retirements aside, including his spectacular flip at Monaco, he never finished out of the top nine and scored 22 points in the process, almost breaking into the top 10 of the drivers' championship.

The Italian was the master of maximising heavy-fuel strategies for mid-race position gain. Despite some mediocre qualifying efforts, brilliant drives came thick and fast, like at the Nurburgring where he again started 18th but finished 6th, or in Canada (11th to 4th), Britain (last to 6th) and Italy (15th to 8th). Spa was also a highlight, where he started and finished 5th, and was constantly competitive. By mid-season, he didn't need Ferrari any more; Williams and Renault were both knocking on his door. Suddenly, top teams were wanting him and courting him all over again.

Prospects for 2005. Of the top teams though, Renault may be the most risky one to join, as their technical direction seems to have stalled. Alonso as a team-mate will be hungry to perform better as well, plus Fisi needs to work on qualifying speed. However, he may yet add to his victory in Brazil in 2003; his race pace is unquestionable. Rating: 7/10

4. Rubens Barrichello

It's never easy to evaluate Rubens' season. OK, he scored 114 points, but the truth is that for three-quarters of the season, he was practically obliterated by his team-mate. But when that person is Michael Schumacher, it's almost excusable. The Brazilian also picked up two fine, truly-deserved victories at Monza and Shanghai, but in Italy he was at less of a disadvantage than Michael, and in China the German was taking a holiday. Whereas sometimes there are drivers who seem to be able to do no wrong, it often appears as though Rubens can do no right.

The rest of his season saw 13 podiums, including seven 2nd places. Given that he was driving a Ferrari F2004, that was not entirely unexpected, but to give credit where credit's due, it was solid, mistake-free, consistent work. However, there was little of the Schumacher-beating speed that we've occasionally seen in previous years, and that was disappointing. Another down-side was his all-too-regular litany of pathetic excuses, blaming all manner of car problems for his inability to beat Michael. He'd have been better off simply admitting that Schumi was in completely peerless form.

Prospects for 2005. Surprise surprise, Rubens has already declared his intention to defeat Michael for the title in 2005. In case he didn't realise, it's not up to him; it's up to whether or not Michael and Ferrari give him a look-in, and whether the Michael-tailored car also happens to suit him. More podiums and wins are assured though. Rating: 7/10

3. Kimi Raikkonen

Given his ice-cool demeanour, it's easy to forget how young and relatively inexperienced the Finn is; 2004 only marked his 6th year of car racing. As a result, after his championship near-thing in 2003, the awfulness of the McLaren MP4/19 probably hurt Kimi more than he let out, although there were occasional signs of frustration, such as in Malaysia. His early-season performances, punctuated by endless engine failures that made his qualifying and race stats look abysmal, were also affected as he grappled with mediocrity. Coulthard was certainly matching him early on.

It's easy to suggest that it was the MP4/19B that revived his form, but that's not entirely true. By the North American races he had regrouped and was starting to leave DC well behind. And just how good was the back-end of his season? Although he came 2nd in Britain and Brazil, and 3rd in China, he was in contention to win all three, and he had a chance of walking away with Germany and Italy too. And he did win at Spa - beating Michael on the king's favourite playground. With luck, that's five or more wins he could have had. However you look at it, that was pretty awesome.

Prospects for 2005. Kimi is a man unphased by reputation. Plus Ron Dennis treats him as his own. These factors should hold him in good stead against Montoya next year. He's now had lots of podiums though, for only two wins in his career. He'll need to improve his conversion rate in 2005 to avoid any doubt from inside or outside setting in. Rating: 7.5/10

2. Jenson Button

However promising winter testing may have been, Jenson could probably hardly imagine that he would spend the season as a regular fixture on the podium. He also would not have known what kind of pressure was involved in being a de facto 'team leader', responsible for carrying his team. But, with a responsive BAR under him and a cocktail of speed, smoothness, savvy and consistency, the Englishman adapted to life as a frontrunner and as a number one driver as if he'd always been there. A comfortable 3rd in the title, 85 points, ten podiums and one pole said it all.

Such was his appetite for points, were it not for his three retirements he would have scored in every race. His drive at Hockenheim was memorable, where but for an engine change and a loose helmet he could have challenged for that elusive maiden victory. And therein lay the main criticism of Jenson, if there was any: his win and fastest lap columns remained at zero. Only rarely in races did he seem to be pushing right to the very edge; you always felt he had a tiny bit more left. Or was that simply a function of his ultra-smooth style? Alain Prost never needed tail-slides to go extremely fast ...

Prospects for 2005. The way Jenson and BAR remained professional throughout the contractual dispute was a credit to them. When they say they will patch up their differences and press on in 2005, you believe them. If the car keeps improving, surely that first win has to come soon. If not, the pressure will start to pile up. Rating: 8.5/10

1. Michael Schumacher

If you're only as good as your last race, then people's opinions of Michael Schumacher's season will be tainted by his royal stuff-ups in China and Brazil, where his intensity level dropped several degrees. But if you take his focus in the other 16 races into account and average it out, no driver came remotely close in terms of concentration and motivation. Matched with a personalised car, raw speed and sheer relentlessness, the result was that no driver came close on the scoresheet either. 13 wins, eight poles, ten fastest laps, 148 points, and a 7th world title made it as conclusively dominant a year as 2002 had been.

Let's not delude ourselves into thinking that the car did all the work - and even if it did, it was the result of the German uniting the rest of the team, and his diligence in always perfecting his set-up. Otherwise, he blew Barrichello away, he was awesome when fighting others on the same strategy, as in Canada, and he dared to try different tactics and made them work too. His masterclass at Magny-Cours will live long in the memory. Yes, Monaco, China and Brazil and others proved he was human after all, but at Suzuka, where sheer skill, adaptability and brilliance won the day, he was untouchable.

Prospects for 2005. You wouldn't bet against an 8th world title for Schumi in 2005. He will keep getting the best out of Ferrari and Bridgestone, but his uncharacteristic lapses at the end of 2004 will give his rivals some hope. But if he was simply storing up his intensity for another full-on assault next season, then the rest had better look out. Rating: 9.5/10

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