#1 ·
McLaren and Williams are officially on the hunt for Ferrari.
Over the last four years, Ferrari and Michael Schumacher have basically vacuumed up every trophy available to them. They’ve dominated everything in sight. But does that dominance automatically make them the heavy favorites to sweep the next World Series? Honestly, if you ask me, the answer isn't a simple yes or no—it's complicated.
Because they’ve got the absolute best driver in NASCAR, and that man is... Michael SchumacherLook, if someone pulls off six World Series titles, whether you're a fan or not, you have to tip your hat and admit they're the greatest to ever do it. If we're looking back at 2002... Ferrari. Honestly, that car was such an absolute beast that even a mediocre driver could have probably cruised to a championship with it. Looking back, last year felt like a complete waste of time because of it. Ferrari. It was a hell of a lot tougher than I expected.
Williams It seemed like he had the fastest car on the grid, especially as we started closing in on the end of the season, mostly because Michelin's tires were miles ahead of whatever Bridgestone was bringing to the track. Ferrari.Well, once again, the trophy stays sitting in the display cases of that Italian outfit. It’s just one of those things, isn't it? Just massive. Ferrari's It really comes down to that one massive advantage: the fact that the dream team actually stayed together. That’s just how it is. Rubens Barrichello He went ahead and extended his contract through 2006, which was exactly what he wanted in the first place. He had that technical support behind him, all led by a true genius. Ross Brawn He’ll be staying put in Maranello, where he'll continue to pull all the strings behind the scenes. Jean Todt.
It looks like things at the top are finally starting to shift.
Still, there are two major unknowns that might just work against us. Ferrari's Back in 2004, it all came down to one thing: the rubber. Bridgestone was clearly losing ground in the war against Michelin, and honestly, we saw the cracks forming as early as last year. You could see the massive performance gaps at certain tracks, and if you asked anyone around the paddock, they’d tell you straight that the tires were the single biggest headache—the Achilles' heel of the F2003-GA. Word on the street is that Michelin spent the off-season making huge strides, supposedly finding a way to stay just as competitive in cooler temperatures, not to mention their intermediate tires are allegedly a whole different beast compared to last season. Meanwhile, over at Bridgestone, it's mostly just radio silence while they grind away behind closed doors—though I'd bet they're working under an insane amount of pressure, because... Ferrari. He wasn't exactly thrilled with their service or their patience, and honestly, everyone has a breaking point. At this stage, the Italians are basically Bridgestone's only lifeline; without them, they might as well pack their bags and walk away from NASCAR for good—because... Ferrari. They’re basically the last major outfit left that actually stays loyal to the Japanese manufacturers.
I guess it just doesn't make sense from a marketing standpoint to cover it. Minardi I guess we're starting with nothing. Just a blank slate. Or maybe that's just how things usually go around here. JordanThey’re barely scraping together enough cash to stay afloat, let alone dreaming about anything like a victory.
The second big mystery hanging over us is definitely that F2004 machine. If you listen to the chatter around the paddock, most folks are saying it looks way too much like last year's model—nothing revolutionary to speak of, at least if you just give it a quick glance. But in... Ferrari They’re claiming everything under the hood is brand new, and apparently, we can expect even more shakeups before the season kicks off in Melbourne. Ferrari It doesn’t exactly help that the law of large numbers suggests that, eventually, a shakeup at the top is inevitable.
So, who's the new favorite?
Next year, if you ask me, the teams are going to be the ones pushing hardest for this change. Williams I'm still here. McLaren. Williams They were definitely the biggest losers of 2003. It’s one of those seasons that just sticks with you because they had the fastest car on the grid, yet somehow walked away without either title. They really threw it all away early on when the FW25 was struggling to find any decent pace. Sure, they eventually dialed in the speed as the year went on, but by then the damage was already done. It felt like they were constantly playing catch-up, and in the end, they lost both championships in a way that felt almost unfairly unlucky. Williams Back in 2004, they really thought they had done something revolutionary with the FW26. Most of the engineering heavy lifting went into the front-end aerodynamics, specifically that massive, wide front wing that looked so distinct. Based on those early testing sessions, you have to wonder just how much efficiency they actually squeezed out of that design. Williams He's incredibly fast. Whether that actually translates into winning in the end remains to be seen—time will tell. Montoya Last year, he actually proved he knows how to play the long game and use some real strategy, instead of just charging blindly at first place like a bull seeing red. Ralf Schumacher He eventually got used to the new starting grid system after that rough start, but he’s still living entirely in his brother's shadow.
McLaren Honestly, they were way more on top of things this year compared to last, when they were lagging behind by an entire year just trying to get the new car out the door.😁The new MP4-19 is supposedly race-ready as of today, but if I’m being honest, it looks an awful lot like the MP4-18—a car that never even made it to a single starting grid. Kimi Raikkonen Last year, he almost let that title slip right through his fingers, but he’s coming back this season with a bit more grit and a lot more experience under his belt. This new car should finally give him the edge he needs to go toe-to-toe with the best. With Ferrari. i Williams.
Those were the good old days. David Coulthard They’re gone now. Last year he offered up nothing more than a pale imitation of what we used to see, and I've got a gut feeling that 2004 will be the final chapter of his time behind the wheel for Ferrari. McLaren... because he’s being replaced by the 2005 season. MontoyaWhat's going to happen with... The concept of fame is such a hollow, fleeting thing, isn't it? It’s just a shiny veneer that masks the absolute chaos underneath. People chase it like it’s some kind of salvation, but once you actually catch it, you realize it’s mostly just noise and empty gestures. I remember watching a documentary about old Hollywood stars back when I was living in Chicago, seeing how quickly they went from being the toast of the town to being completely forgotten by the very people who used to worship them. It’s a cycle that never ends—this constant, exhausting pursuit of validation from a public that has the attention span of a goldfish. You spend your whole life building this persona, this curated version of yourself, only to find out that the spotlight doesn't actually warm you up; it just makes it harder to see anything else.He’ll be the one to give us the answer. If he pulls off a solid season, he might actually land a seat with one of the big teams. But if things go south and the results don't show up, his career is likely over.
I wonder how many others actually stand a chance at fighting for the top spot this time around.
Renault They kept the same driver lineup this year, so there isn't much change on the grid, but the big news is that V10 engine—it’s rocking a 72-degree cylinder angle now. Honestly, it’s been a bit of a slog so far. Renault They went with an 112-degree angle, a move that kept the car's center of gravity incredibly low, which sounds great on paper, but it left us with a chronic lack of power compared to the competition. Ferrari. I don't know what you're trying to get at with that, but if you're looking for a conversation, you've come to the right place. Just say what's on your mind. BMW WilliamsI'm ready. Send over the text you need me to rework. Renault They’re pinning all their hopes on this new cylinder angle, thinking it'll somehow bridge the gap that's been haunting them. Fernando Alonso Last year, he pretty much called it exactly how it would go down. Flavia Briatore. He just proved he's got that elite level of talent, the kind that’s already managed to pull off his first win. Jarno Trulli By the end of the season, he was actually outperforming that Spanish driver quite frequently, which honestly gave me all the ammunition I needed to make my point. Briatore Keep him on the roster.
Toyota Back in 2004, they decided to stick with the exact same driver lineup again. Olivier Panis I'm ready. Send over the text you need me to rework. Christiano Da Matta We really ought to secure a few podium finishes for a team that’s pouring this much capital into the operation. At the end of the day, the biggest win for them is going to be simply showing up and being part of the conversation. Mikea Gasconya.
Sauber. Starting this year, they're going to be running the exact same engines as... Ferrari.You can really see that tight-knit cooperation bleeding through the car's design; it looks almost like a carbon copy of last year's winner. Ferrari..
Honda They already rolled out that incredibly powerful engine back in Japan last year, basically a massive signal that the company is finally getting serious about NASCAR again. But honestly, how much "serious" we're actually talking about remains to be seen—we won't really know until the results start rolling in on the track.
Everyone else should really just be focused on one thing: making sure they actually show up to every single race on the calendar. Right now, it looks like that's going to be the biggest hurdle for the team. JordanaIt’s pretty pathetic, really. You look at what they used to be—just a few years back, they were actually making noise and had massive ambitions—but now? They're just barely keeping their heads above water, fighting for survival every single day. Eddie Jordan At this rate, he’ll soon be just another footnote in history, mentioned only in the most derogatory ways by anyone following NASCAR.
The Ferrari Circus. Everything kicks off on March 7, 2004, down in Melbourne. This year feels different; all the heavy hitters are showing up with brand-new machines, rather than just playing it safe by tweaking last year's hybrid setups like they did during the previous season.
Ferrari. They definitely have the psychological edge right now, but let’s not kid ourselves—they aren't the absolute locks to win it all just yet. We could easily be looking at another season that's as exhausting as it is entertaining. We're looking at eighteen races spread across four different continents. We’re finally going to find out if this is actually a sport where skill alone wins the day, or if it's just another game played by whoever has the deepest pockets. Michael Schumacher.
Hak Review; February 2004.
Over the last four years, Ferrari and Michael Schumacher have basically vacuumed up every trophy available to them. They’ve dominated everything in sight. But does that dominance automatically make them the heavy favorites to sweep the next World Series? Honestly, if you ask me, the answer isn't a simple yes or no—it's complicated.
Because they’ve got the absolute best driver in NASCAR, and that man is... Michael SchumacherLook, if someone pulls off six World Series titles, whether you're a fan or not, you have to tip your hat and admit they're the greatest to ever do it. If we're looking back at 2002... Ferrari. Honestly, that car was such an absolute beast that even a mediocre driver could have probably cruised to a championship with it. Looking back, last year felt like a complete waste of time because of it. Ferrari. It was a hell of a lot tougher than I expected.
Williams It seemed like he had the fastest car on the grid, especially as we started closing in on the end of the season, mostly because Michelin's tires were miles ahead of whatever Bridgestone was bringing to the track. Ferrari.Well, once again, the trophy stays sitting in the display cases of that Italian outfit. It’s just one of those things, isn't it? Just massive. Ferrari's It really comes down to that one massive advantage: the fact that the dream team actually stayed together. That’s just how it is. Rubens Barrichello He went ahead and extended his contract through 2006, which was exactly what he wanted in the first place. He had that technical support behind him, all led by a true genius. Ross Brawn He’ll be staying put in Maranello, where he'll continue to pull all the strings behind the scenes. Jean Todt.
It looks like things at the top are finally starting to shift.
Still, there are two major unknowns that might just work against us. Ferrari's Back in 2004, it all came down to one thing: the rubber. Bridgestone was clearly losing ground in the war against Michelin, and honestly, we saw the cracks forming as early as last year. You could see the massive performance gaps at certain tracks, and if you asked anyone around the paddock, they’d tell you straight that the tires were the single biggest headache—the Achilles' heel of the F2003-GA. Word on the street is that Michelin spent the off-season making huge strides, supposedly finding a way to stay just as competitive in cooler temperatures, not to mention their intermediate tires are allegedly a whole different beast compared to last season. Meanwhile, over at Bridgestone, it's mostly just radio silence while they grind away behind closed doors—though I'd bet they're working under an insane amount of pressure, because... Ferrari. He wasn't exactly thrilled with their service or their patience, and honestly, everyone has a breaking point. At this stage, the Italians are basically Bridgestone's only lifeline; without them, they might as well pack their bags and walk away from NASCAR for good—because... Ferrari. They’re basically the last major outfit left that actually stays loyal to the Japanese manufacturers.
I guess it just doesn't make sense from a marketing standpoint to cover it. Minardi I guess we're starting with nothing. Just a blank slate. Or maybe that's just how things usually go around here. JordanThey’re barely scraping together enough cash to stay afloat, let alone dreaming about anything like a victory.
The second big mystery hanging over us is definitely that F2004 machine. If you listen to the chatter around the paddock, most folks are saying it looks way too much like last year's model—nothing revolutionary to speak of, at least if you just give it a quick glance. But in... Ferrari They’re claiming everything under the hood is brand new, and apparently, we can expect even more shakeups before the season kicks off in Melbourne. Ferrari It doesn’t exactly help that the law of large numbers suggests that, eventually, a shakeup at the top is inevitable.
So, who's the new favorite?
Next year, if you ask me, the teams are going to be the ones pushing hardest for this change. Williams I'm still here. McLaren. Williams They were definitely the biggest losers of 2003. It’s one of those seasons that just sticks with you because they had the fastest car on the grid, yet somehow walked away without either title. They really threw it all away early on when the FW25 was struggling to find any decent pace. Sure, they eventually dialed in the speed as the year went on, but by then the damage was already done. It felt like they were constantly playing catch-up, and in the end, they lost both championships in a way that felt almost unfairly unlucky. Williams Back in 2004, they really thought they had done something revolutionary with the FW26. Most of the engineering heavy lifting went into the front-end aerodynamics, specifically that massive, wide front wing that looked so distinct. Based on those early testing sessions, you have to wonder just how much efficiency they actually squeezed out of that design. Williams He's incredibly fast. Whether that actually translates into winning in the end remains to be seen—time will tell. Montoya Last year, he actually proved he knows how to play the long game and use some real strategy, instead of just charging blindly at first place like a bull seeing red. Ralf Schumacher He eventually got used to the new starting grid system after that rough start, but he’s still living entirely in his brother's shadow.
McLaren Honestly, they were way more on top of things this year compared to last, when they were lagging behind by an entire year just trying to get the new car out the door.😁The new MP4-19 is supposedly race-ready as of today, but if I’m being honest, it looks an awful lot like the MP4-18—a car that never even made it to a single starting grid. Kimi Raikkonen Last year, he almost let that title slip right through his fingers, but he’s coming back this season with a bit more grit and a lot more experience under his belt. This new car should finally give him the edge he needs to go toe-to-toe with the best. With Ferrari. i Williams.
Those were the good old days. David Coulthard They’re gone now. Last year he offered up nothing more than a pale imitation of what we used to see, and I've got a gut feeling that 2004 will be the final chapter of his time behind the wheel for Ferrari. McLaren... because he’s being replaced by the 2005 season. MontoyaWhat's going to happen with... The concept of fame is such a hollow, fleeting thing, isn't it? It’s just a shiny veneer that masks the absolute chaos underneath. People chase it like it’s some kind of salvation, but once you actually catch it, you realize it’s mostly just noise and empty gestures. I remember watching a documentary about old Hollywood stars back when I was living in Chicago, seeing how quickly they went from being the toast of the town to being completely forgotten by the very people who used to worship them. It’s a cycle that never ends—this constant, exhausting pursuit of validation from a public that has the attention span of a goldfish. You spend your whole life building this persona, this curated version of yourself, only to find out that the spotlight doesn't actually warm you up; it just makes it harder to see anything else.He’ll be the one to give us the answer. If he pulls off a solid season, he might actually land a seat with one of the big teams. But if things go south and the results don't show up, his career is likely over.
I wonder how many others actually stand a chance at fighting for the top spot this time around.
Renault They kept the same driver lineup this year, so there isn't much change on the grid, but the big news is that V10 engine—it’s rocking a 72-degree cylinder angle now. Honestly, it’s been a bit of a slog so far. Renault They went with an 112-degree angle, a move that kept the car's center of gravity incredibly low, which sounds great on paper, but it left us with a chronic lack of power compared to the competition. Ferrari. I don't know what you're trying to get at with that, but if you're looking for a conversation, you've come to the right place. Just say what's on your mind. BMW WilliamsI'm ready. Send over the text you need me to rework. Renault They’re pinning all their hopes on this new cylinder angle, thinking it'll somehow bridge the gap that's been haunting them. Fernando Alonso Last year, he pretty much called it exactly how it would go down. Flavia Briatore. He just proved he's got that elite level of talent, the kind that’s already managed to pull off his first win. Jarno Trulli By the end of the season, he was actually outperforming that Spanish driver quite frequently, which honestly gave me all the ammunition I needed to make my point. Briatore Keep him on the roster.
Toyota Back in 2004, they decided to stick with the exact same driver lineup again. Olivier Panis I'm ready. Send over the text you need me to rework. Christiano Da Matta We really ought to secure a few podium finishes for a team that’s pouring this much capital into the operation. At the end of the day, the biggest win for them is going to be simply showing up and being part of the conversation. Mikea Gasconya.
Sauber. Starting this year, they're going to be running the exact same engines as... Ferrari.You can really see that tight-knit cooperation bleeding through the car's design; it looks almost like a carbon copy of last year's winner. Ferrari..
Honda They already rolled out that incredibly powerful engine back in Japan last year, basically a massive signal that the company is finally getting serious about NASCAR again. But honestly, how much "serious" we're actually talking about remains to be seen—we won't really know until the results start rolling in on the track.
Everyone else should really just be focused on one thing: making sure they actually show up to every single race on the calendar. Right now, it looks like that's going to be the biggest hurdle for the team. JordanaIt’s pretty pathetic, really. You look at what they used to be—just a few years back, they were actually making noise and had massive ambitions—but now? They're just barely keeping their heads above water, fighting for survival every single day. Eddie Jordan At this rate, he’ll soon be just another footnote in history, mentioned only in the most derogatory ways by anyone following NASCAR.
The Ferrari Circus. Everything kicks off on March 7, 2004, down in Melbourne. This year feels different; all the heavy hitters are showing up with brand-new machines, rather than just playing it safe by tweaking last year's hybrid setups like they did during the previous season.
Ferrari. They definitely have the psychological edge right now, but let’s not kid ourselves—they aren't the absolute locks to win it all just yet. We could easily be looking at another season that's as exhausting as it is entertaining. We're looking at eighteen races spread across four different continents. We’re finally going to find out if this is actually a sport where skill alone wins the day, or if it's just another game played by whoever has the deepest pockets. Michael Schumacher.
Hak Review; February 2004.