Entrants
The Grand Prix was contested by eleven teams with two drivers each. The teams (also known as Constructors ) were Renault , McLaren , Ferrari , Toyota , Williams , Honda , Red Bull , BMW , MF1 , Toro Rosso and Super Aguri .
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
Championship leader Fernando Alonso clinched his second pole position of the season with a time of 1:14.648 and was joined on the front row by Renault teammate Giancarlo Fisichella . Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa put their Ferraris on the second row of the grid.
Race
At the start, the first four remained in formation, although Felipe Massa was pressured by Kimi Räikkönen , who had jumped up from ninth to fifth. Fernando Alonso managed to break away while teammate Giancarlo Fisichella held up the chasers. The first round of pit stops was initiated by Alonso on lap 17. Fisichella followed him on lap 18 and Massa on lap 19. Suddenly, Juan Pablo Montoya spun at high speed and beached his McLaren on a kerb . If the safety car was deployed, it would give Schumacher a big advantage, but Montoya's car was lifted away by a crane. Alonso lost time while passing one of the Midlands and Schumacher lost time when he made a rare mistake on his own. The German pitted on lap 23 and rejoined 10 seconds behind the race leader, but crucially just ahead of Fisichella. The second round of pit stops did not lead to any changes in the leading pack and Alonso took his third win of the season, extending his championship lead to 15 points.
External links
41°34′12″N 2°15′40″E / 41.57000°N 2.26111°E / 41.57000; 2.26111
Race Result
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Constructor | Laps | Time/Retired |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Fernando Alonso | Renault | 66 | 1:26:21.759 |
| 2 | 5 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | 66 | +18.502 |
| 3 | 2 | Giancarlo Fisichella | Renault | 66 | +23.951 |
| 4 | 6 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 66 | +29.853 |
| 5 | 3 | Kimi Räikkönen | McLaren-Mercedes | 66 | +56.875 |
| 6 | 12 | Jenson Button | Honda | 66 | +58.347 |
| 7 | 11 | Rubens Barrichello | Honda | 65 | +1 Lap |
| 8 | 16 | Nick Heidfeld | BMW Sauber | 65 | +1 Lap |
| 9 | 9 | Mark Webber | Williams-Cosworth | 65 | +1 Lap |
| 10 | 8 | Jarno Trulli | Toyota | 65 | +1 Lap |
Qualifying
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Constructor | Q1 | Q2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Fernando Alonso | Renault | 1:15.816 | 1:15.124 |
| 2 | 2 | Giancarlo Fisichella | Renault | 1:16.046 | 1:14.766 |
| 3 | 5 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | 1:16.049 | 1:14.637 |
| 4 | 6 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 1:16.359 | 1:15.245 |
| 5 | 11 | Rubens Barrichello | Honda | 1:16.266 | 1:15.258 |
| 6 | 7 | Ralf Schumacher | Toyota | 1:16.234 | 1:15.164 |
| 7 | 8 | Jarno Trulli | Toyota | 1:16.174 | 1:15.068 |
| 8 | 12 | Jenson Button | Honda | 1:16.054 | 1:15.150 |
| 9 | 3 | Kimi Räikkönen | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:16.613 | 1:15.422 |
| 10 | 16 | Nick Heidfeld | BMW Sauber | 1:16.322 | 1:15.468 |
The Paddock Breakdown
Barry · Gary · KatGary — 33 · Three Fantasy F1 leagues
The Catalan sun, a molten coin in the azure, beat down upon a circuit still young, yet already etched with the ghosts of titans. A Renault R27, driven with a brutal elegance by Fernando, clawed its way to victory, its 3. 0-liter V10 – a symphony of titanium and precision – delivering 840 horsepower to the tarmac. Observe, the McLaren-Mercedes MP4-20, with its 2. 4-liter V8, struggled for grip, a testament to Bridgestone's evolving tire compound strategy. Ferrari, reliant on a 3.
The Catalan sun beat down with a fierce intensity, mirroring the raw ambition churning beneath the asphalt of the Montmeló circuit. Sixty-six laps. A testament to endurance, a brutal ballet of speed and strategy. 9 seconds. A statistical whisper, really, considering the championship stakes and the relentless pursuit of dominance that defined this era.
Kat — 30 · Technical journalist
The air thickened, a metallic tang of burnt rubber and desperation. Alonso wrestled with the Renault, a furious ballet of throttle and wheel, the engine screaming a defiant song against the Catalan sun. A fraction of a second. That's all it took for Schumacher to close, the Ferrari's scarlet blur a predatory shadow mirroring Alonso's every move. The roar of the crowd, a wave of fervent anticipation, seemed to vibrate through the very tarmac. A victory here, in this unforgiving heat, would have rewritten the narrative, cemented a legend. But the Spaniard held firm, a warrior sculpted from steel and ambition.
The rain, a silver curtain drawn across the Catalan hills, recalled a photograph – a young Juan Manuel Fangio, brow furrowed in concentration, battling a downpour at Silverstone. It wasn't simply a race, was it? This was a test of wills, a communion between man and machine, a desperate plea against the elements. Alonso, a modern echo of that spirit, wrestled his Renault forward, the tires screaming a lament beneath Montmeló. Schumacher, ever the strategist, watched, a subtle shift in his gaze betraying the relentless calculation that defined his career. Fisichella, a warrior in blue, held his position, a testament to Renault's rising force. The scent of damp asphalt and burning rubber – a perfume of victory.