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.
Race report
At the start Kimi Räikkönen got away in the lead with Michael Schumacher and Nick Heidfeld tussling over 2nd. By lap 2 Fernando Alonso was up to 6th past Heidfeld as Schumacher and Räikkönen begin to pull clear of the rest. On lap 10 Nico Rosberg lost power in his Williams and was the first retirement, his 4th consecutive retirement. On lap 15 Räikkönen pitted from the lead and two laps later Schumacher came in and jumped him, Robert Kubica took the lead stopping much later, on lap 23, which all...
References
45°36′56″N 9°16′52″E / 45.61556°N 9.28111°E / 45.61556; 9.28111
Race Result
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Constructor | Laps | Time/Retired |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | 53 | 1:14:51.975 |
| 2 | 3 | Kimi Räikkönen | McLaren-Mercedes | 53 | +8.046 |
| 3 | 17 | Robert Kubica | BMW Sauber | 53 | +26.414 |
| 4 | 2 | Giancarlo Fisichella | Renault | 53 | +32.045 |
| 5 | 12 | Jenson Button | Honda | 53 | +32.685 |
| 6 | 11 | Rubens Barrichello | Honda | 53 | +42.409 |
| 7 | 8 | Jarno Trulli | Toyota | 53 | +44.662 |
| 8 | 16 | Nick Heidfeld | BMW Sauber | 53 | +45.309 |
| 9 | 6 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 53 | +45.995 |
| 10 | 9 | Mark Webber | Williams-Cosworth | 53 | +72.602 |
Qualifying
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Constructor | Q1 | Q2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Kimi Räikkönen | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:21.994 | 1:21.349 |
| 2 | 5 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | 1:21.711 | 1:21.353 |
| 3 | 16 | Nick Heidfeld | BMW Sauber | 1:21.764 | 1:21.425 |
| 4 | 6 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 1:22.028 | 1:21.225 |
| 5 | 12 | Jenson Button | Honda | 1:22.512 | 1:21.572 |
| 6 | 17 | Robert Kubica | BMW Sauber | 1:22.437 | 1:21.270 |
| 7 | 4 | Pedro de la Rosa | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:22.422 | 1:21.878 |
| 8 | 11 | Rubens Barrichello | Honda | 1:22.640 | 1:21.688 |
| 9 | 2 | Giancarlo Fisichella | Renault | 1:22.486 | 1:21.722 |
| 10 | 1 | Fernando Alonso | Renault | 1:21.747 | 1:21.526 |
The Paddock Breakdown
Barry · Gary · KatGary — 33 · Three Fantasy F1 leagues
The air hung thick with the scent of high-octane and something older – the ghosts of a thousand Monza battles. Schumacher, a silhouette against the fading Italian sun, crossed the line, a measured victory etched onto his face. That 1. 6-liter V10 from the Ferrari, a beast of 520 horsepower, delivered its final surge, a testament to years of relentless refinement. Young Robert Kubica, piloting a BMW Sauber with its 2. 4-liter V8, secured a podium, a quiet statement of potential, while a fresh-faced Sebastian Vettel, already a force, demonstrated a Friday dominance that hinted at a future few anticipated.
The air at Monza tasted of anticipation and, frankly, a lingering scent of burnt rubber – a familiar perfume here. Schumacher, a silhouette against the scarlet of his Ferrari, crossed the line not with a roar, but with a quiet acknowledgement. A decision, etched in the dust of the track, hung heavy; this was to be his farewell, a calculated surrender to the relentless current of time. Observe, then, the curious symmetry: Schumacher, a record-holder for pole positions (15, a figure that would remain untouchable for nearly a decade), ending his reign with a victory, a poignant paradox woven into the very fabric of the race.
Kat — 30 · Technical journalist
The rain hadn't relented, a grey curtain drawn tight over Monza. Schumacher's Ferrari, a predatory shadow, wrestled with Kubica's battered Renault – a desperate dance on the asphalt. You could almost taste the years of calculation, the relentless pursuit etched onto Schumacher's face as he edged ahead. Kubica, a young man sculpted by ambition and fueled by the ghost of Polesie's legacy, matched every move, a defiant spark in the gloom. This wasn't just a race; it was the final, agonizing chapter of a legend, a silent acknowledgement of a titan yielding. The air hung thick with unspoken histories, with the knowledge that tomorrow, a new face would inherit the throne.
The rain, a sullen grey curtain, clung to Monza's asphalt, mirroring perhaps, the quiet resignation settling over Michael's shoulders. He watched Kubica, a young, fierce current, snatch the podium – a brutal, beautiful theft. Schumacher, the titan, the legend, was already dismantling his kingdom, a slow, deliberate act of grace. Vettel, barely a whisper in the grand scheme, was a spark, a volatile promise flickering in the shadows. Kubica, eyes burning with the raw hunger of a man carving his own path, felt the weight of history settling upon him. The air, thick with the scent of damp rubber and unspoken farewells, held a strange, melancholic beauty. Monza, always a crucible, had delivered its final verdict.