The Brazilian Grand Prix marked the end of the 2004 season, and although it could have been the final Formula One race for some key members of the F1 community, there were no dramatic farewells, as the likes of David Coulthard, Jordan or Minardi wait on their future. Atlas F1's Richards Barnes analyses the events of the final round of 2004

Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos was initially and optimistically scheduled to provide a thrilling and Championship deciding finale to the 2004 season, as Suzuka had done in 2003. Alas, Ferrari, Bridgestone and Michael Schumacher scotched those hopes by achieving a season-long level of dominance that surpassed even their 2002 effort. A blow-out season is an occupational risk in F1, particularly for the organisers of the final couple of Grands Prix of the year. The Interlagos hosts may not have been rewarded with a Championship clincher in their new calendar slot as the season finale, but Williams' Juan Pablo Montoya and McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen provided them with the consolation prize of a hard-fought and exciting tussle for victory.

While the spectacle of two non-Ferrari cars outclassing the field was a first in 2004, it was no surprise that Montoya and Raikkonen would be the drivers to excel. Both arrived in Brazil feeling that Interlagos owed them a victory. Back in 2001, barely three races into his F1 career, Montoya had surprised all by muscling Michael Schumacher into second place with a typically aggressive overtaking move. He went on to dominate the race and seemed set for his maiden win, until being taken out inexplicably from behind by the lapped Arrows of Jos Verstappen.

Raikkonen had suffered equally outrageous fortune in the rain-affected Brazilian GP of 2003. After tiptoeing, lap after hazardous lap, through the turn 3 rivulet that claimed so many (including Montoya, Michael Schumacher and BAR's Jenson Button), the Finn was denied victory only by the inopportune timing of Fernando Alonso's red-flag accident. Jordan's Giancarlo Fisichella was the benefactor on that occasion, and the two Championship points that Raikkonen forfeited turned out to be the exact deficit to eventual champion Michael Schumacher. Small wonder, then, that both drivers fought so hard to reclaim their Interlagos debt.

Their Michelin-shod cars benefited from the greasy track surface, the only road conditions that mitigate against Ferrari's superior Bridgestone tyres. Home favourite Rubens Barrichello may have had reason to feel that the gods had once again conspired to deny him success in front of his Brazilian fans, but Ferrari cannot complain. The hot dry summer has favoured the Scuderia all season, exaggerating the performance differential between the red cars and their distant pursuers.

After nine successive failures to score points on home soil, Barrichello may have finally broken his Brazil duck with a podium finish. But, after setting up a perfect race-winning opportunity by securing pole while team leader Michael Schumacher was demoted to 18th on the grid, the Brazilian could not hide his bitter disappointment.

Ahead of the struggling Ferraris, the lead battle wasn't the best or closest that Montoya and Raikkonen have waged. Indeed, the most exciting moment came when they were figuratively crawling side by side down the pitlane, after stopping on the same lap. But the context and timing of the race added immeasurably to its value as a contest.

The victory wasn't just a parting gift from Juan Pablo Montoya to his Williams team, it was an opening gambit to Kimi Raikkonen and team chief Ron Dennis at McLaren. While Raikkonen may have been less than thrilled by his 2005 teammate's premature welcoming gift, the rediscovery of Montoya's fast and feisty form will raise a huge smile from Dennis – and from all F1 fans who are eagerly anticipating the internal rivalry at McLaren next season.

Even if a season finale cannot produce the excitement of a climactic battle to seal the Championship, it will usually mark the sadness of voluntary and forced retirements and departures from the sport. Yet, perversely, Brazil 2004 did not even provide this level of closure. It was a finale without farewells. Toyota's Olivier Panis had bowed out of competitive F1 two weeks ago at Suzuka. For the rest, Interlagos was not so much tearful farewells as terse 'let's wait and see' statements.

For Jaguar, the conclusion of their F1 campaign ended in the worst way possible, with their two cars running into each other. Still, even though Jaguar and Ford have withdrawn from the sport, the men in green continue to hope that the team personnel (if not the name) will live on under a new owner. However, even if the core of the team survive to challenge again under another banner, it will be without their lynchpin Mark Webber.

It is astonishing that, after two full seasons with Jaguar, Webber has been unable to emulate his debut F1 performance, in a Minardi, of finishing as high as fifth in a GP. Despite multiple promising qualifying performances, Webber has always either failed to finish or dropped back to sixth or lower in the final placings. That is not to slight the Australian's ability, as he is universally recognised as a rising F1 star. Instead, it is sadly indicative of the whole Jaguar F1 effort – occasionally great potential, consistently disappointing results.

Ford's withdrawal from the sport also threatens the survival of engine customers Jordan and Minardi. While neither team can challenge the frontrunners, they add variety, colour and racing passion to an increasingly detached and finance-driven sport. If any or all of Jaguar, Jordan and Minardi fail to secure the necessary backing to continue racing in 2005, Brazil will have marked a downbeat and inappropriately indecisive exit from the sport.

That applies equally to McLaren's David Coulthard. Having been replaced by Juan Pablo Montoya at McLaren, and with only one competitive seat for 2005 remaining open at Williams, it is certainly possible (perhaps even likely) that Interlagos was the Scotsman's final race in F1. If that turns out to be the case, then Coulthard surely deserved more of a send-off than his anonymous 11th place finish. After nine full seasons with the team, Coulthard did get the opportunity to bid farewell to his McLaren colleagues in Brazil. But his eleven-year presence in the sport has far wider impact than just his immediate employer and fellow team members.

Renowned unfairly for his occasional mind-boggling lapses in concentration, Coulthard also displayed an equal and opposite ability (at the peak of his form) to go wheel to wheel with, and beat, the best in the world. His main problem was in not attaining that peak form consistently enough.

However, the legacy that a driver leaves is not defined merely by his results and career statistics, but also by his approach to the sport and the people around him. Coulthard's calm and gentlemanly demeanour, coupled with his loyalty to the teams he served, have been an asset to Formula One. Coulthard is not just one of F1's elder statesmen, he is also a fine ambassador for the sport.

Like Michael Schumacher, Coulthard's passion for racing has not been dimmed by age. The keen Championship ambitions that the Scot harboured as a F1 newcomer may have been dented by his relative lack of success over the years. But Coulthard has taken pole positions and won GP in two different cars. There is only one other driver on the grid who can boast more career wins - and that driver is already signed for Ferrari in 2005…

Williams could do a lot worse than give David Coulthard another chance while they wait for Jenson Button's BAR contract to expire. The Scot may not have the consistency to challenge Michael Schumacher over a full season, but he has experience and other talents that could prove very useful to Mark Webber's development as a possible franchise driver.

Contact the Author Contact the Editor