2005 Australian Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Giancarlo Fisichella made a winning return to Renault at the Australian Grand Prix, converting a rain-assisted pole into a controlled victory. Rubens Barrichello finished second and Fernando Alonso charged to third as a new set of rules reshaped the contest at Albert Park Circuit.

Result	Driver / Time	Team
Pole position	Giancarlo Fisichella	Renault
Pole time	3:01.460
Fastest lap	Fernando Alonso	Renault
Fastest-lap time	1:25.683 on lap 24
First	Giancarlo Fisichella	Renault
Second	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari
Third	Fernando Alonso	Renault

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
4 March 2005	Practice 1	11:00
4 March 2005	Practice 2	14:00
5 March 2005	Practice 3	09:00
5 March 2005	Practice 4	10:15
5 March 2005	Qualifying 1	13:00
6 March 2005	Qualifying 2	10:00
6 March 2005	Race	14:00

All times are local. The race time is the scheduled start; weather delays and interruptions are described below.

Championship background

The 2005 F1 World Championship began with new aerodynamic restrictions, engines required to last two race weekends and a ban on routine tyre changes during the race. Qualifying combined one timed lap on Saturday with a second, race-fuelled lap on Sunday morning. Ferrari started with its modified F2004M while preparing its new car.

Race entries

Red Bull took over Jaguar’s operation, pairing David Coulthard with Christian Klien. Juan Pablo Montoya joined Kimi Räikkönen at McLaren, Mark Webber and Nick Heidfeld formed a new Williams line-up, and Giancarlo Fisichella returned to Renault alongside Fernando Alonso. Jacques Villeneuve joined Sauber, Ralf Schumacher moved to Toyota, and rookies Tiago Monteiro, Narain Karthikeyan, Christijan Albers and Patrick Friesacher filled the Jordan and Minardi seats. Minardi missed Friday running during its dispute over compliance with the new technical rules.

Free Practice

Vitantonio Liuzzi put Red Bull’s third car at the top on Friday morning, an eye-catching start for the renamed team. Many regular drivers limited their mileage under the new two-race engine rule, and Michael Schumacher did not run. Narain Karthikeyan suffered an engine failure in his first Grand Prix practice, while both Minardis remained in the garage as the regulations dispute continued.

De la Pedro de la Rosa and Kimi Räikkönen led a McLaren one-two in the afternoon, with Nick Heidfeld close behind. Mark Webber missed the chance for a final quick lap when he crossed the line just after time expired. Vitantonio Liuzzi spun into the gravel and abandoned his Red Bull, while Ralf Schumacher and Robert Doornbos also went off. Minardi again took no part.

Overnight rain left the track wet for Saturday’s first session. Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello led, while several teams avoided timed laps in the conditions. Minardi finally joined the running after modifying its cars; Christijan Albers spun late at Turn 3. Mark Webber also struggled for grip, spinning twice during his brief outing.

The final practice session remained affected by damp conditions, with Kimi Räikkönen narrowly heading Fernando Alonso and Juan Pablo Montoya improving late. Narain Karthikeyan spun at Turn 9 and had to abandon his Jordan, which briefly caught fire. The variable surface gave the field a warning of how important the weather—and each driver’s running slot—could become in single-lap qualifying.

Free Practice 1 Classification

2005 Australian Grand Prix FP1, 4 March 2005

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	37	Vitantonio Liuzzi	Red Bull Racing	1:25.967	19
2	35	Pedro de la Rosa	McLaren	+0.513s	19
3	38	Ricardo Zonta	Toyota	+1.298s	20
4	10	Juan Pablo Montoya	McLaren	+1.458s	5
5	14	David Coulthard	Red Bull Racing	+1.606s	9
6	12	Felipe Massa	Sauber	+2.004s	5
7	7	Mark Webber	Williams	+2.302s	10
8	16	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	+2.399s	10
9	3	Jenson Button	BAR	+2.665s	10
10	15	Christian Klien	Red Bull Racing	+2.867s	9
11	8	Nick Heidfeld	Williams	+3.205s	9
12	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+3.260s	5
13	17	Ralf Schumacher	Toyota	+3.318s	12
14	11	Jacques Villeneuve	Sauber	+3.365s	7
15	39	Robert Doornbos	Jordan	+3.403s	23
16	4	Takuma Sato	BAR	+5.397s	9
17	18	Tiago Monteiro	Jordan	+6.381s	15
18	19	Narain Karthikeyan	Jordan	+12.208s	6
19	9	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	No time	1
20	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	No time	3
21	6	Giancarlo Fisichella	Renault	No time	2
22	5	Fernando Alonso	Renault	No time	2

Free Practice 2 Classification

2005 Australian Grand Prix FP2, 4 March 2005

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	35	Pedro de la Rosa	McLaren	1:25.376	28
2	9	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	+0.300s	15
3	8	Nick Heidfeld	Williams	+0.564s	23
4	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	+0.705s	15
5	10	Juan Pablo Montoya	McLaren	+0.851s	14
6	12	Felipe Massa	Sauber	+0.981s	19
7	5	Fernando Alonso	Renault	+1.186s	21
8	3	Jenson Button	BAR	+1.235s	26
9	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+1.263s	14
10	6	Giancarlo Fisichella	Renault	+1.291s	23
11	38	Ricardo Zonta	Toyota	+1.432s	31
12	14	David Coulthard	Red Bull Racing	+1.641s	22
13	17	Ralf Schumacher	Toyota	+1.786s	16
14	16	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	+1.819s	24
15	7	Mark Webber	Williams	+1.953s	19
16	11	Jacques Villeneuve	Sauber	+2.137s	18
17	15	Christian Klien	Red Bull Racing	+2.168s	14
18	4	Takuma Sato	BAR	+2.515s	20
19	19	Narain Karthikeyan	Jordan	+2.792s	29
20	39	Robert Doornbos	Jordan	+3.244s	30
21	37	Vitantonio Liuzzi	Red Bull Racing	+3.550s	7
22	18	Tiago Monteiro	Jordan	+4.295s	23

Free Practice 3 Classification

2005 Australian Grand Prix FP3, 5 March 2005

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:40.540	5
2	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+1.393s	4
3	9	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	+2.986s	6
4	19	Narain Karthikeyan	Jordan	+5.101s	10
5	17	Ralf Schumacher	Toyota	+5.147s	6
6	4	Takuma Sato	BAR	+6.228s	3
7	14	David Coulthard	Red Bull Racing	+7.829s	5
8	21	Christijan Albers	Minardi	+8.026s	10
9	16	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	+9.083s	8
10	3	Jenson Button	BAR	+10.824s	3
11	18	Tiago Monteiro	Jordan	+12.917s	5
12	20	Patrick Friesacher	Minardi	+12.967s	11
13	11	Jacques Villeneuve	Sauber	No time	3
14	15	Christian Klien	Red Bull Racing	No time	1
15	12	Felipe Massa	Sauber	No time	3
16	10	Juan Pablo Montoya	McLaren	No time	1
17	8	Nick Heidfeld	Williams	No time	3
18	7	Mark Webber	Williams	No time	3
19	5	Fernando Alonso	Renault	No time	2
20	6	Giancarlo Fisichella	Renault	No time	2

Free Practice 4 Classification

2005 Australian Grand Prix FP4, 5 March 2005

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	9	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	1:27.297	11
2	5	Fernando Alonso	Renault	+0.112s	14
3	10	Juan Pablo Montoya	McLaren	+0.959s	11
4	6	Giancarlo Fisichella	Renault	+1.274s	13
5	3	Jenson Button	BAR	+2.280s	11
6	7	Mark Webber	Williams	+3.002s	10
7	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	+3.236s	7
8	4	Takuma Sato	BAR	+3.257s	14
9	14	David Coulthard	Red Bull Racing	+3.348s	14
10	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+3.418s	7
11	8	Nick Heidfeld	Williams	+4.078s	7
12	15	Christian Klien	Red Bull Racing	+4.374s	14
13	16	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	+4.404s	18
14	12	Felipe Massa	Sauber	+4.439s	14
15	11	Jacques Villeneuve	Sauber	+6.734s	14
16	17	Ralf Schumacher	Toyota	+7.627s	10
17	21	Christijan Albers	Minardi	+8.678s	13
18	20	Patrick Friesacher	Minardi	+12.748s	7
19	18	Tiago Monteiro	Jordan	+13.505s	9
20	19	Narain Karthikeyan	Jordan	+13.525s	6

Qualifying

Saturday’s one-lap session was transformed by heavy rain. Giancarlo Fisichella completed his run before the worst weather arrived and built a substantial advantage over Jarno Trulli and Mark Webber. Felipe Massa had to abandon his attempt when the downpour struck, while Michael Schumacher’s wet-weather lap left him far down the order. Takuma Sato crashed on his out-lap and brought the session to a halt.

Sunday’s second lap was added to Saturday’s time to determine the grid. Giancarlo Fisichella retained pole, with Jarno Trulli alongside and Mark Webber third. The aggregate format preserved the large gaps created by Saturday’s weather, leaving Fernando Alonso, Rubens Barrichello and several other leading runners facing recovery drives rather than a fresh contest for pole.

Qualifying Classification

2005 Australian Grand Prix Qualifying, 5 March 2005 and 6 March 2005

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	First qualifying	Second qualifying	Aggregate	Laps
1	6	Giancarlo Fisichella	Renault	1:33.171	1:28.289	3:01.460	6
2	16	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	1:35.270	1:29.159	3:04.429	6
3	7	Mark Webber	Williams	1:36.717	1:28.279	3:04.996	6
4	11	Jacques Villeneuve	Sauber	1:36.984	1:29.862	3:06.846	6
5	14	David Coulthard	Red Bull Racing	1:38.320	1:28.892	3:07.212	6
6	15	Christian Klien	Red Bull Racing	1:37.486	1:29.991	3:07.477	6
7	8	Nick Heidfeld	Williams	1:39.717	1:29.413	3:09.130	6
8	3	Jenson Button	BAR	1:41.512	1:30.616	3:12.128	6
9	10	Juan Pablo Montoya	McLaren	1:45.325	1:29.320	3:14.645	6
10	9	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	1:44.997	1:30.561	3:15.558	6
11	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	1:45.481	1:31.341	3:16.822	6
12	19	Narain Karthikeyan	Jordan	1:44.357	1:32.735	3:17.092	6
13	5	Fernando Alonso	Renault	1:47.708	1:29.758	3:17.466	6
14	18	Tiago Monteiro	Jordan	1:46.846	1:33.483	3:20.329	6
15	17	Ralf Schumacher	Toyota	1:51.495	1:31.222	3:22.717	6
16	20	Patrick Friesacher	Minardi	1:50.864	1:37.499	3:28.363	6
17	21	Christijan Albers	Minardi	1:49.230	No time	1:49.230	3
18	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:57.931	No time	1:57.931	4
19	4	Takuma Sato	BAR	No time	No time		2
20	12	Felipe Massa	Sauber	No time	No time		2

Takuma Sato did not get a time in Q1 after going out on a wet track.

Felipe Massa did not get a time in Q1 after abandoning the attempt after driving on dry tires on a wet track.

Christijan Albers did not get time in Q2 after as the red light turned red before he could get on the track.

Michael Schumacher and Takuma Sato did not get time in Q2 after, having already received a 10-place grid penalty for an engine change.

Felipe Massa did not get a time in Q2 with no time in the first session, there was no point setting one in the second.

Michael Schumacher and Takuma Sato received a 10-place grid penalty for engine changes.

What happened in the 2005 Australian Grand Prix?

Kimi Räikkönen stalled before the start and had to begin from the pit lane after an extra formation lap. Giancarlo Fisichella led away, while David Coulthard passed Mark Webber for third. Fernando Alonso and Rubens Barrichello quickly gained places, but Jarno Trulli later fell back with a blistered rear tyre that he could not routinely replace under the season’s rules.

Giancarlo Fisichella controlled the race through the refuelling stops. Rubens Barrichello’s strategy brought him into second, while Fernando Alonso worked past Jacques Villeneuve and continued his recovery. Michael Schumacher and Nick Heidfeld collided after the Ferrari’s second stop, ending both drivers’ chances of a result.

Giancarlo Fisichella won from Rubens Barrichello and Fernando Alonso, with David Coulthard fourth on Red Bull’s debut. Mark Webber, Juan Pablo Montoya, Christian Klien and Kimi Räikkönen completed the points. BAR withdrew both cars before the finish to exploit an engine-replacement loophole, which was closed before the next round.

After the race, Giancarlo Fisichella headed the drivers’ standings with 10 points, followed by Rubens Barrichello on 8. Renault led the constructors’ table on 16, with Ferrari on 8.

2005 Australian Grand Prix race results

The 2005 Australian Grand Prix was held on 6 March 2005, with a scheduled start of 14:00 local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	6	Giancarlo Fisichella	Renault	57	1:24:17.336	10
2	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	57	+5.553	8
3	5	Fernando Alonso	Renault	57	+6.712	6
4	14	David Coulthard	Red Bull Racing	57	+16.131	5
5	7	Mark Webber	Williams	57	+16.908	4
6	10	Juan Pablo Montoya	McLaren	57	+35.033	3
7	15	Christian Klien	Red Bull Racing	57	+38.997	2
8	9	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	57	+39.633	1
9	16	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	57	+1:03.108	0
10	12	Felipe Massa	Sauber	57	+1:04.393	0
11	3	Jenson Button	BAR	56	Withdrawn	0
12	17	Ralf Schumacher	Toyota	56	+1 Lap	0
13	11	Jacques Villeneuve	Sauber	56	+1 Lap	0
14	4	Takuma Sato	BAR	55	Withdrawn	0
15	19	Narain Karthikeyan	Jordan	55	+2 Laps	0
16	18	Tiago Monteiro	Jordan	55	+2 Laps	0
17	20	Patrick Friesacher	Minardi	53	+4 Laps	0
Ret	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	42	Collision damage	0
Ret	8	Nick Heidfeld	Williams	42	Collision	0
Ret	21	Christijan Albers	Minardi	16	Gearbox	0

Kimi Räikkönen started the race from the pitlane.

2005 Australian Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time	Avg. Speed
1	5	Fernando Alonso	Renault	24	1:25.683	222.807
2	6	Giancarlo Fisichella	Renault	55	1:25.994	222.001
3	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	54	1:26.233	221.386
4	9	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	55	1:26.255	221.329
5	3	Jenson Button	BAR	55	1:26.260	221.316
6	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	38	1:26.261	221.314
7	10	Juan Pablo Montoya	McLaren	41	1:26.393	220.976
8	7	Mark Webber	Williams	37	1:26.493	220.720
9	17	Ralf Schumacher	Toyota	56	1:26.536	220.611
10	15	Christian Klien	Red Bull Racing	39	1:26.627	220.379
11	14	David Coulthard	Red Bull Racing	40	1:26.690	220.219
12	8	Nick Heidfeld	Williams	38	1:26.854	219.803
13	12	Felipe Massa	Sauber	55	1:26.893	219.704
14	16	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	56	1:27.116	219.142
15	11	Jacques Villeneuve	Sauber	54	1:27.745	217.571
16	4	Takuma Sato	BAR	36	1:27.877	217.244
17	19	Narain Karthikeyan	Jordan	36	1:27.970	217.014
18	18	Tiago Monteiro	Jordan	16	1:28.999	214.505
19	20	Patrick Friesacher	Minardi	22	1:32.852	205.604
20	21	Christijan Albers	Minardi	11	1:33.144	204.960

Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear. Average speeds are in km/h. No fastest-lap bonus point was awarded.

2005 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings after the 2005 Australian Grand Prix.

2005 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Giancarlo Fisichella	Italian	Renault	10
2	Rubens Barrichello	Brazilian	Ferrari	8
3	Fernando Alonso	Spanish	Renault	6
4	David Coulthard	British	Red Bull Racing	5
5	Mark Webber	Australian	Williams	4
6	Juan Pablo Montoya	Colombian	McLaren	3
7	Christian Klien	Austrian	Red Bull Racing	2
8	Kimi Räikkönen	Finnish	McLaren	1
9	Jarno Trulli	Italian	Toyota	0
10	Felipe Massa	Brazilian	Sauber	0
11	Ralf Schumacher	German	Toyota	0
12	Jacques Villeneuve	Canadian	Sauber	0
13	Narain Karthikeyan	Indian	Jordan	0
14	Tiago Monteiro	Portuguese	Jordan	0
15	Patrick Friesacher	Austrian	Minardi	0
–	Jenson Button	British	BAR	0
–	Takuma Sato	Japanese	BAR	0
–	Michael Schumacher	German	Ferrari	0
–	Nick Heidfeld	German	Williams	0
–	Christijan Albers	Dutch	Minardi	0

2005 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Renault	16
2	Ferrari	8
3	Red Bull Racing	7
4	Williams	4
5	McLaren	4
6	Toyota	0
7	Sauber	0
8	Jordan	0
9	Minardi	0
–	BAR	0

2005 Formula 1 Race Calendar

Round	Grand Prix	Circuit	Date
1	2005 Australian Grand Prix	Albert Park Circuit, Melbourne	6 March
2	2005 Malaysian Grand Prix	Sepang International Circuit, Sepang	20 March
3	2005 Bahrain Grand Prix	Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir	3 April
4	2005 San Marino Grand Prix	Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola	24 April
5	2005 Spanish Grand Prix	Circuit de Catalunya, Montmeló	8 May
6	2005 Monaco Grand Prix	Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo	22 May
7	2005 European Grand Prix	Nürburgring, Nürburg	29 May
8	2005 Canadian Grand Prix	Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, Montréal	12 June
9	2005 United States Grand Prix	Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis	19 June
10	2005 French Grand Prix	Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, Magny-Cours	3 July
11	2005 British Grand Prix	Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone	10 July
12	2005 German Grand Prix	Hockenheimring, Hockenheim	24 July
13	2005 Hungarian Grand Prix	Hungaroring, Mogyoród	31 July
14	2005 Turkish Grand Prix	Istanbul Park, Istanbul	21 August
15	2005 Italian Grand Prix	Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza	4 September
16	2005 Belgian Grand Prix	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot	11 September
17	2005 Brazilian Grand Prix	Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo	25 September
18	2005 Japanese Grand Prix	Suzuka International Racing Course, Suzuka	9 October
19	2005 Chinese Grand Prix	Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai	16 October