Race
Kimi Räikkönen took pole position, but it proved artificial, as McLaren had inadvertently not put enough fuel as intended in his car before qualifying . In the race, his early pitstop left him unable to challenge for the win. Michael Schumacher scored his 89th career win ahead of teammate Felipe Massa . Many questioned the sudden pace of Kimi Räikkönen and the sudden lack of it at the Renault team. Soon after the start of the race, the first question was answered: McLaren had put a minimum amount of fuel in Räikkönen's car, forcing him to make a pit stop after just ten laps. And it became a long stop when his crew had problems changing the right rear tyre. All this meant that the Ferrari duo of Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa sailed off into the distance, with Jenson Button in the Honda and... Schumacher made his first stop without losing the lead. Meanwhile, Alonso was down in sixth behind Mark Webber . The Australian had started down in eleventh but later even passed Fisichella for fourth. During the second round of pit stops, Fisichella went off track and was passed by his teammate. Schumacher and Massa scored a comfortable 1-2. It was the German 's 89th career win. Räikkönen used the unplanned third-stop strategy to its best to fight off Webber and overtake Button to take the third step on the podium. In the final stages, Webber's car developed an engine problem and he retired on lap 59.
Background
The Grand Prix weekend got off to a controversial start when the mass damper system fitted by Renault was deemed legal by the FIA appointed stewards, despite the FIA banning the use of these devices. The FIA appealed against their own steward's decision and Renault withdrew the system after Friday practice to avoid further sanctions.
Driver changes
Super Aguri 's third driver Sakon Yamamoto replaced Franck Montagny to make his Formula One debut. Montagny took over the role of third driver from the Turkish Grand Prix on.
Friday drivers
The bottom 6 teams in the 2005 Constructors' Championship and Super Aguri were entitled to run a third car in free practice on Friday. These drivers drove on Friday but did not compete in qualifying or the race.
Qualifying
Kimi Räikkönen scored his eighth career pole position ahead of the Ferraris of Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa .
External links
49°19′40″N 8°33′57″E / 49.32778°N 8.56583°E / 49.32778; 8.56583
Race Result
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Constructor | Tyre | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | B | 67 |
| 2 | 6 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | B | 67 |
| 3 | 3 | Kimi Räikkönen | McLaren-Mercedes | M | 67 |
| 4 | 12 | Jenson Button | Honda | M | 67 |
| 5 | 1 | Fernando Alonso | Renault | M | 67 |
| 6 | 2 | Giancarlo Fisichella | Renault | M | 67 |
| 7 | 8 | Jarno Trulli | Toyota | B | 67 |
| 8 | 15 | Christian Klien | Red Bull-Ferrari | M | 67 |
| 9 | 7 | Ralf Schumacher | Toyota | B | 67 |
| 10 | 20 | Vitantonio Liuzzi | Toro Rosso-Cosworth | M | 66 |
Qualifying
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Constructor | Q1 | Q2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Kimi Räikkönen | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:15.214 | 1:14.410 |
| 2 | 5 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | 1:14.904 | 1:13.778 |
| 3 | 6 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 1:14.412 | 1:14.094 |
| 4 | 12 | Jenson Button | Honda | 1:15.869 | 1:14.378 |
| 5 | 2 | Giancarlo Fisichella | Renault | 1:15.916 | 1:14.540 |
| 6 | 11 | Rubens Barrichello | Honda | 1:15.757 | 1:14.652 |
| 7 | 1 | Fernando Alonso | Renault | 1:15.518 | 1:14.746 |
| 8 | 7 | Ralf Schumacher | Toyota | 1:15.789 | 1:14.743 |
| 9 | 4 | Pedro de la Rosa | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:15.655 | 1:15.021 |
| 10 | 14 | David Coulthard | Red Bull-Ferrari | 1:15.836 | 1:14.826 |
The Paddock Breakdown
Barry · Gary · KatGary — 33 · Three Fantasy F1 leagues
The Hockenheimring shimmered, a cauldron of ambition under a July sun. A miscalculated fuel load, a phantom weight in Räikkönen's McLaren, robbed him of a victory snatched just moments before. Schumacher, piloting a 208 horsepower MP4-23, secured his 89th Grand Prix triumph, a testament to McLaren's relentless development. Villeneuve's departure, shadowed by BMW Sauber's uncertainty, marked a poignant farewell to a generation, a fading echo of heroism.
A peculiar sequence unfolded – Räikkönen's pole, a phantom granted by miscalculation, vanished almost as swiftly as it appeared. Schumacher, a titan sculpted from steel and strategy, secured his eighty-ninth victory, a numerical echo of dominance. Consider the stark contrast: Räikkönen's fleeting advantage, juxtaposed against Massa's relentless surge, a statistical dance of ambition and execution.
Kat — 30 · Technical journalist
The rain, a venomous grey, slammed into the Hockenheimring, a sudden, brutal baptism. A fractured gearbox screamed from Räikkönen's Ferrari, the sound swallowed almost entirely by the deluge. Smoke billowed, a dark shroud over the German circuit – a mechanical lament for a victory snatched away. Schumacher, stoic in his Mercedes, pulled away, a predator in the storm, securing his eighth-ieth triumph with chilling precision. Villeneuve, a ghost of Villeneuve past, watched, the bitterness of BMW's betrayal clinging to him like the damp air. The scent of ozone and wet asphalt, a potent cocktail of ambition and disappointment, hung heavy over the track. A legend fading, a promise broken – the echoes of Hockenheim resonated with the ghosts of racing's finest.
The rain, a sullen grey drape across Hockenheim, mirrored the disappointment etched on Jacques Villeneuve's face. A champion's gaze, once brimming with fierce ambition, now held a quiet, almost mournful, assessment of a career abruptly curtailed. Twenty-nine years, a world championship, and a legacy—all slipping through his fingers like wet asphalt. He'd arrived in Germany seeking a lifeline, a guarantee of continued competition, and found only the cold, pragmatic reality of a team's shifting priorities. The scent of damp tires and the distant rumble of engines couldn't mask the bitterness of a promise broken. A legend, fading into the twilight of motorsport.