How Michael Schumacher’s 2004 Record Drives Andrea Stella’s Passion

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella still remembers the 2004 Formula 1 season, where Michael Schumacher won 12 of the first 13 races driving the Ferrari F2004. Stella, who worked as Schumacher’s performance engineer at Ferrari, said that the team’s early testing at Imola made him realize just how quick the car really was.

During those tests, the F2004 outpaced its predecessor, the F2003-GA, by a big margin, with Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello both driving. The consistency and outright speed of the F2004 surprised everyone at Ferrari and set the stage for one of the most dominant starts in Formula 1 history.

Schumacher’s only slip in those first 13 races came at Monaco after a crash under the tunnel involving Juan Pablo Montoya, who was a lap down. Without that incident, Ferrari truly believed they could have taken 13 wins from 13 attempts.

Stella often references that season as a personal motivation, wanting to bring McLaren to that kind of winning level. He admits it is not easy in the current environment but says the effort and vision remain.

The F2004 became famous not only for its results but also for its lasting value. An F2004 chassis raced by Schumacher went for $3.2 million at auction in 2004, and its legend has grown over the years.

Even Sebastian Vettel, a four-time world champion, wanted to buy a chassis but thought the price was too much. The car arrived just when Ferrari needed a boost, having faced strong competition from Renault and McLaren the year before.

Ferrari put huge resources into improving aerodynamics, tire use, and the suspension to work better with Bridgestone tires. Team members at Ferrari remembered how shocked they were by the test lap times.

Chief race engineer Luca Baldisserri recalled the car doing laps that did not match the team’s computer simulations—only faster. The engineers spent hours checking data to make sure nothing was wrong.

Rob Smedley, another test engineer, said Schumacher’s smile after those first runs told the story. The F2004 ended up being not just a little better than the 2003 car, but up to two seconds faster per lap in long runs, and the advantage grew as stints went on.

That level of performance is something Stella is working to build at McLaren today. He often thinks back to the breakthrough at Imola as a reminder of what is possible.

The F2004 proved what careful engineering and teamwork can achieve, and Stella uses that story to motivate not only himself but his current team. As Formula 1 returns to Imola, Stella’s memories of those early 2004 tests come back strong.

He hopes the spirit from that era will one day help McLaren reach the same heights. With new regulations and tough rivals, he knows it will take time, but the 2004 record remains a guiding example for the challenges ahead.

Daniel Miller

Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.