Between the controversies and the fights on the track, the 2005 F1 season gave the fans a show hard to forget.<\/p>\n
The 2005 F1 season is often remembered as the beginning of a new era. Fernando Alonso<\/a> in his Renault R25, broke the five-year domination of the stellar match Micheal Schumacher-Ferrari.<\/p>\n The young Spaniard must also be credited for the great resilience he showed in keeping the McLaren behind. Especially that of Kimi Raikkonen.<\/p>\n The Finn was a serious threat to Alonso, but he managed to climb towards success and win both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles for Renault – Thanks also to the help of Giancarlo Fisichella.<\/p>\n Between scandals and impressive performances, 2005 was the year of exciting battles and many twists.<\/p>\n Even before getting on the track, 2005 was a great unknown for drivers and teams. Two significant changes were made that year, which ultimately decided the fate of the championship.<\/p>\n During the 2005 season, teams were prohibited from changing tyres during pit stops throughout the race. Instead, they were required to select a single set of tyres that would be adequate for qualifying and the race.<\/p>\n This rule, however, was only in effect for that season, as it was proven to be very dangerous.<\/p>\n The tyres frequently experienced significant graining, particularly in areas with high temperatures. The Malaysian Grand Prix for example had a track temperature as high as 51 \u00b0C (124 \u00b0F), while in Bahrain temperatures rose above 56 \u00b0C (133 \u00b0F).<\/p>\n In addition, there were two tyre distributors on the grid supplying the teams: Michelin and Bridgestone.<\/p>\n At the beginning of the year, teams were called to choose who they wanted to collaborate with for the whole season.<\/p>\n This choice was decisive for the results of the world championships, as Michelin was much more performant than Bridgestone. Ferrari, the reigning champions of both the Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ titles in 2004 chose Bridgestone and paid the price on track.<\/p>\n Another significant technical change was the introduction of an engine that lasted only two race weekends.<\/p>\n The teams were not accustomed to this new specification.<\/p>\n It resulted in several technical issues and failures that impacted the final standings. This was particularly evident in the case of Kimi Raikkonen and his McLaren<\/a>.<\/p>\n READ MORE<\/strong>: Fernando Alonso Celebrates His 400th Grand Prix in F1<\/a><\/p>\n Already from the pre-season tests Renault had proved to be the opponent to beat. In the first race in Melbourne, Giancarlo Fisichella secured pole position and successfully maintained his lead throughout the race.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the competition behind him fought hard for the remaining two spots on the podium. Rubens Barrichello managed to keep a determined Alonso, who had recovered from the thirteenth to third position.<\/p>\n The Spaniard had the opportunity to demonstrate his skills by winning the three successive races. One of Alonso’s most exciting performances<\/a> occurred during the San Marino Grand Prix.<\/p>\n The Renault driver started from second position and, after the withdrawal of the pole sitter Raikkonen, he took the lead until lap 50.<\/p>\n From there, Alonso and Schumacher fought to the last corner for that victory. The German tried his best to overtake his opponent but in the end, he settled for second.<\/p>\n This show of strength gave even more confidence to Alonso. He had managed to beat one of the strongest drivers in the history of Formula 1.<\/p>\n Thanks to his constancy and ability, Alonso was crowned champion in Brazil.<\/p>\n The 2005 season was a significant test of the Spaniard’s skills in his career. Out of the nineteen races, he finished off the podium only four times, achieving seven victories and securing six additional podium finishes.<\/p>\n These results earned him the Drivers’ title at just 24 years old. At the time, he became the youngest champion in the history of F1.<\/p>\n As Schumacher was not a real threat that season, the main contender challenging Alonso for his first title was Kimi Raikkonen in a McLaren.<\/p>\n As the season progressed, the performance of the English team’s car improved steadily.<\/p>\n In the final half of the year, Raikkonen became an increasingly persistent presence behind Alonso’s back. The MP4-20 finished the season as the fastest car on track but what kept the team and its two drivers from winning the titles were too many reliability issues.<\/p>\n The penalties for changing engines during qualifying and retirements while leading the race severely impacted the team. Despite being competitive and winning more races than the champions, they struggled to match Alonso’s consistency in the Renault.<\/p>\n Raikkonen won seven races and achieved four more podiums. His teammate Juan Pablo Montoya won only three times and climbed on the podium two more, losing the confrontation with the Finn.<\/p>\n YOU MAY ALSO LIKE<\/strong>: How Nico Rosberg Defeated Lewis Hamilton in 2016<\/a><\/p>\n Among the many controversies in a Formula 1 season, the events at Indianapolis<\/a> in 2005 stand out as one of the most striking occurrences.<\/p>\n During the practice session at the United States Grand Prix, Ralf Schumacher<\/a> violently crashed into the barriers. This was due to a failure of the left rear tyre.<\/p>\n The incident began to raise questions, as Ricardo Zonta had an accident for the same reason.<\/p>\n It was then discovered that the problem was in the tyres. It represented a great risk for the drivers, with the banking the cause of the tyres to collapse.<\/p>\n At that point, several discussions began on how to continue the Grand Prix, as Michelin informed the FIA that the cars with their tyres could not run at top speed and there was no way to replace all of them.<\/p>\n Michelin teams proposed different options between a non-championship race and one in which the teams running with Michelin’s tyres did not earn any points.<\/p>\n In the end, they decided to install a chicane but race director Charlie Whiting and FIA president Bernie Ecclestone were against it. As a counterproposal, they presented the possibility of changing tyres when they wanted during the race and other options.<\/p>\n By Sunday morning, no decision had been made. It was ultimately decided that the Michelin drivers would complete only the formation lap and not participate in the race.<\/p>\n Therefore, the 2005 United States Grand Prix was run by only six drivers and three teams on the track.<\/p>\n On that occasion, Ferrari achieved its only victory of the season with Michael Schumacher<\/a> finishing in first place and Rubens Barrichello coming in second.<\/p>\n The 2005 F1 season gave many emotions to fans around the world.<\/p>\n Alonso demonstrated his consistency and skills against the rest of the grid. This marked the beginning of a period where he would compete for the championship for many years to come, even with different teams.<\/p>\n Renault established themselves in the motorsport scene, overshadowing Ferrari<\/a> that year, who finished a season with much disappointment.<\/p>\n McLaren had presented themselves as worthy challengers but technical problems prevented Raikkonen from crowning a great season with the title victory.<\/p>\n From 2005 onwards, a new era opened up.<\/p>\n Young people started taking the place of past legends and a new generation of drivers<\/a> debuted in the Formula 1 scene.<\/p>\nTwo Main Changes: Tyres and Engines<\/h3>\n
Fernando Alonso’s Fight for the 2005 F1 Title<\/h3>\n
McLaren Vs Renault<\/h3>\n
Indianapolis F1 2005<\/h3>\n
The Beginning of a New Era<\/h3>\n