Michelin tyre failures caused two serious crashes, foreshadowing the controversial 2005 US Grand Prix where all Michelin-shod cars withdrew.
Key Facts
- Race number in season
- 9 of 18
- Pole position
- Rubens Barrichello (Ferrari)
- Race winner
- Michael Schumacher (Ferrari)
- Schumacher's wins that season
- 8th win
- Ralf Schumacher injury
- Spinal fractures and concussion
- Notable podium
- Takuma Sato — 2nd Japanese driver to podium in F1
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Michelin tyres supplied to several teams exhibited dangerous failures at high speed on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway circuit. Fernando Alonso and Ralf Schumacher both suffered blowouts during the race, with Schumacher's occurring in the most hazardous section of the track. These failures raised immediate safety concerns about tyre integrity under race conditions.
The 2004 United States Grand Prix was held on June 20 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Michael Schumacher won after overtaking pole-sitter Rubens Barrichello on a safety car restart following a multi-car start-line incident. Ralf Schumacher crashed heavily due to a Michelin tyre failure, sustaining spinal fractures, while Takuma Sato claimed a podium finish — only the second Japanese driver to do so in Formula One.
Ralf Schumacher's injuries kept him out of racing for three months. The tyre failures directly preceded the 2005 United States Grand Prix controversy, in which all Michelin-shod teams withdrew before the race start over unresolved safety concerns. The 2004 race also marked the last US Grand Prix featuring a US-owned Formula One team until Haas entered the championship in 2016.