2005 Bahrain Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Fernando Alonso made it consecutive victories with a commanding Bahrain Grand Prix win. Jarno Trulli added another second place for Toyota, while Ferrari’s new F2005 showed speed but could not finish in the points in the punishing desert heat.

Result	Driver / Time	Team
Pole position	Fernando Alonso	Renault
Pole time	3:01.902
Fastest lap	Pedro de la Rosa	McLaren
Fastest-lap time	1:31.447 on lap 43
First	Fernando Alonso	Renault
Second	Jarno Trulli	Toyota
Third	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
1 April 2005	Practice 1	11:00
1 April 2005	Practice 2	14:00
2 April 2005	Practice 3	09:00
2 April 2005	Practice 4	10:15
2 April 2005	Qualifying 1	13:00
3 April 2005	Qualifying 2	10:30
3 April 2005	Race	14:30

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

Championship background

Fernando Alonso arrived at round 3 leading the 2005 F1 World Championship on 16 points, with Giancarlo Fisichella on 10. Renault headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 26 points.

Race entries

De la Pedro de la Rosa replaced the injured Juan Pablo Montoya at McLaren, with Alexander Wurz taking the third-car role. Takuma Sato returned to BAR after his Malaysian illness. Ferrari brought forward the debut of its F2005 following its difficult opening races, replacing the modified previous-year chassis.

Free Practice

Ricardo Zonta led Friday morning as Toyota gathered tyre and set-up data while its race drivers limited their mileage. Michael Schumacher ran the new Ferrari near the front, but Rubens Barrichello’s gearbox trouble soon disrupted the team’s programme. The combination of heat, sand and limited grip made preparation particularly demanding.

Alexander Wurz topped the afternoon in McLaren’s third car, ahead of Fernando Alonso. Ricardo Zonta’s gearbox problem prevented Toyota from completing its planned long-run tyre comparison, so Jarno Trulli and Ralf Schumacher had to cover more of that work. Both Toyota drivers reported oversteer and poor grip, leaving the team with further set-up decisions overnight.

Michael Schumacher produced a late quick lap to lead Saturday’s first session by a large margin. Rubens Barrichello remained sidelined while Ferrari awaited gearbox parts, losing another opportunity to learn the new car. De la Pedro de la Rosa continued adapting to his unexpected race role, while the sandy surface still demanded caution.

Mark Webber set the final practice benchmark, with Ralf Schumacher close behind and Giancarlo Fisichella losing time through a mistake in the last sector. Toyota’s pace had improved, although oversteer remained a concern for both drivers. Rubens Barrichello again missed the session, leaving him badly short of running before the first qualifying lap.

Free Practice 1 Classification

2005 Bahrain Grand Prix FP1, 1 April 2005

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	38	Ricardo Zonta	Toyota	1:31.449	21
2	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	+0.671s	5
3	37	Vitantonio Liuzzi	Red Bull Racing	+1.060s	17
4	35	Alexander Wurz	McLaren	+1.657s	13
5	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	+1.662s	5
6	10	Pedro de la Rosa	McLaren	+1.821s	9
7	7	Mark Webber	Williams	+1.978s	8
8	9	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	+2.387s	5
9	3	Jenson Button	BAR	+2.553s	5
10	8	Nick Heidfeld	Williams	+3.273s	4
11	15	Christian Klien	Red Bull Racing	+3.273s	8
12	12	Felipe Massa	Sauber	+3.426s	6
13	14	David Coulthard	Red Bull Racing	+3.535s	8
14	39	Robert Doornbos	Jordan	+3.983s	23
15	19	Narain Karthikeyan	Jordan	+4.317s	14
16	18	Tiago Monteiro	Jordan	+5.085s	18
17	11	Jacques Villeneuve	Sauber	+5.663s	8
18	21	Christijan Albers	Minardi	+6.329s	15
19	20	Patrick Friesacher	Minardi	+7.154s	16
20	4	Takuma Sato	BAR	No time	2
21	6	Giancarlo Fisichella	Renault	No time	2
22	5	Fernando Alonso	Renault	No time	2
23	16	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	No time	1
24	17	Ralf Schumacher	Toyota	No time	1

Free Practice 2 Classification

2005 Bahrain Grand Prix FP2, 1 April 2005

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	35	Alexander Wurz	McLaren	1:30.695	20
2	5	Fernando Alonso	Renault	+1.274s	24
3	37	Vitantonio Liuzzi	Red Bull Racing	+1.624s	30
4	10	Pedro de la Rosa	McLaren	+1.638s	13
5	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	+1.736s	16
6	16	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	+1.900s	22
7	6	Giancarlo Fisichella	Renault	+2.013s	24
8	9	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	+2.293s	18
9	3	Jenson Button	BAR	+2.342s	23
10	17	Ralf Schumacher	Toyota	+2.382s	19
11	8	Nick Heidfeld	Williams	+2.457s	20
12	4	Takuma Sato	BAR	+2.510s	13
13	15	Christian Klien	Red Bull Racing	+2.741s	25
14	38	Ricardo Zonta	Toyota	+2.748s	11
15	7	Mark Webber	Williams	+2.868s	16
16	14	David Coulthard	Red Bull Racing	+3.013s	21
17	12	Felipe Massa	Sauber	+3.031s	18
18	19	Narain Karthikeyan	Jordan	+3.286s	16
19	39	Robert Doornbos	Jordan	+3.527s	26
20	11	Jacques Villeneuve	Sauber	+3.605s	19
21	18	Tiago Monteiro	Jordan	+4.032s	18
22	20	Patrick Friesacher	Minardi	+4.630s	21
23	21	Christijan Albers	Minardi	+5.399s	22

Free Practice 3 Classification

2005 Bahrain Grand Prix FP3, 2 April 2005

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:30.552	4
2	5	Fernando Alonso	Renault	+1.259s	6
3	10	Pedro de la Rosa	McLaren	+2.214s	5
4	16	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	+2.224s	8
5	15	Christian Klien	Red Bull Racing	+2.289s	10
6	17	Ralf Schumacher	Toyota	+2.316s	11
7	6	Giancarlo Fisichella	Renault	+2.325s	6
8	19	Narain Karthikeyan	Jordan	+2.447s	8
9	7	Mark Webber	Williams	+2.724s	4
10	14	David Coulthard	Red Bull Racing	+3.054s	10
11	3	Jenson Button	BAR	+3.131s	6
12	8	Nick Heidfeld	Williams	+3.581s	4
13	4	Takuma Sato	BAR	+3.611s	12
14	12	Felipe Massa	Sauber	+3.680s	10
15	18	Tiago Monteiro	Jordan	+3.840s	10
16	11	Jacques Villeneuve	Sauber	+4.912s	6
17	20	Patrick Friesacher	Minardi	+6.009s	15
18	21	Christijan Albers	Minardi	+6.893s	13
19	9	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	+7.397s	5

Free Practice 4 Classification

2005 Bahrain Grand Prix FP4, 2 April 2005

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	7	Mark Webber	Williams	1:29.527	10
2	17	Ralf Schumacher	Toyota	+0.184s	12
3	6	Giancarlo Fisichella	Renault	+0.211s	15
4	16	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	+0.271s	12
5	9	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	+0.283s	10
6	5	Fernando Alonso	Renault	+0.298s	12
7	10	Pedro de la Rosa	McLaren	+0.337s	10
8	15	Christian Klien	Red Bull Racing	+0.369s	11
9	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	+0.553s	8
10	8	Nick Heidfeld	Williams	+0.763s	6
11	3	Jenson Button	BAR	+0.797s	12
12	14	David Coulthard	Red Bull Racing	+1.031s	11
13	4	Takuma Sato	BAR	+1.375s	15
14	12	Felipe Massa	Sauber	+1.474s	11
15	11	Jacques Villeneuve	Sauber	+1.599s	12
16	19	Narain Karthikeyan	Jordan	+2.971s	10
17	18	Tiago Monteiro	Jordan	+3.159s	12
18	21	Christijan Albers	Minardi	+4.188s	12
19	20	Patrick Friesacher	Minardi	+4.882s	12

Qualifying

Fernando Alonso led Saturday’s low-fuel session, ahead of Jarno Trulli and Michael Schumacher. Early runners encountered more sand and less grip, making the running order relevant without the dramatic weather changes seen in Melbourne. Ralf Schumacher lost time with oversteer at Turn 8 and faced a recovery in the second session.

Sunday’s race-fuelled laps left Fernando Alonso on aggregate pole, with Michael Schumacher moving onto the front row and Jarno Trulli third. Rubens Barrichello’s gearbox problems compromised his qualifying, and an engine change sent him to the back. Ferrari’s new car had shown enough speed to challenge Renault, but its reliability remained a concern.

Qualifying Classification

2005 Bahrain Grand Prix Qualifying, 2 April 2005 and 3 April 2005

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	First qualifying	Second qualifying	Aggregate	Laps
1	5	Fernando Alonso	Renault	1:29.848	1:32.054	3:01.902	6
2	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	1:30.237	1:32.120	3:02.357	6
3	16	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	1:29.993	1:32.667	3:02.660	6
4	8	Nick Heidfeld	Williams	1:30.390	1:32.827	3:03.217	6
5	7	Mark Webber	Williams	1:30.592	1:32.670	3:03.262	6
6	17	Ralf Schumacher	Toyota	1:30.952	1:32.319	3:03.271	6
7	15	Christian Klien	Red Bull Racing	1:30.646	1:32.723	3:03.369	6
8	10	Pedro de la Rosa	McLaren	1:30.725	1:32.648	3:03.373	6
9	9	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	1:30.594	1:32.930	3:03.524	6
10	6	Giancarlo Fisichella	Renault	1:30.445	1:33.320	3:03.765	6
11	3	Jenson Button	BAR	1:30.957	1:33.391	3:04.348	6
12	12	Felipe Massa	Sauber	1:30.933	1:34.269	3:05.202	6
13	4	Takuma Sato	BAR	1:31.113	1:34.450	3:05.563	6
14	14	David Coulthard	Red Bull Racing	1:31.211	1:34.633	3:05.844	6
15	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	1:31.826	1:35.867	3:07.693	6
16	11	Jacques Villeneuve	Sauber	1:32.318	1:35.665	3:07.983	6
17	18	Tiago Monteiro	Jordan	1:33.424	1:36.004	3:09.428	6
18	19	Narain Karthikeyan	Jordan	1:33.190	1:36.953	3:10.143	6
19	21	Christijan Albers	Minardi	1:34.005	1:36.417	3:10.422	6
20	20	Patrick Friesacher	Minardi	1:34.848	1:36.413	3:11.261	6

Rubens Barrichello started from the back of the grid due to an engine change in parc fermé.

Christijan Albers and Patrick Friesacher received a 10-place grid penalty for engine changes.

What happened in the 2005 Bahrain Grand Prix?

Fernando Alonso held the lead from Michael Schumacher and Jarno Trulli. Christian Klien failed to start, and Giancarlo Fisichella soon retired with engine trouble. Schumacher pursued Fernando Alonso until hydraulic failure ended the Ferrari’s race, leaving Jarno Trulli as the nearest challenger.

Mark Webber spun out of third, allowing Kimi Räikkönen and Ralf Schumacher through. De la Pedro de la Rosa supplied much of the action behind, battling past Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello before closing on Mark Webber. Both BARs retired, while the heat and tyre wear continued to take a toll across the field.

Fernando Alonso won from Jarno Trulli and Kimi Räikkönen, with Ralf Schumacher fourth. De la Pedro de la Rosa passed Mark Webber late to finish fifth and also set the fastest lap. Felipe Massa and David Coulthard took the final points as Rubens Barrichello faded, leaving Ferrari without a score and Renault with its third win from three races.

After the race, Fernando Alonso headed the drivers’ standings with 26 points, followed by Jarno Trulli on 16. Renault led the constructors’ table on 36, with Toyota on 25.

2005 Bahrain Grand Prix race results

The 2005 Bahrain Grand Prix was held on 3 April 2005, with a scheduled start of 14:30 local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	5	Fernando Alonso	Renault	57	1:29:18.531	10
2	16	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	57	+13.409	8
3	9	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	57	+32.063	6
4	17	Ralf Schumacher	Toyota	57	+53.272	5
5	10	Pedro de la Rosa	McLaren	57	+1:04.988	4
6	7	Mark Webber	Williams	57	+1:14.701	3
7	12	Felipe Massa	Sauber	56	+1 lap	2
8	14	David Coulthard	Red Bull Racing	56	+1 lap	1
9	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	56	+1 lap	0
10	18	Tiago Monteiro	Jordan	55	+2 laps	0
11	11	Jacques Villeneuve	Sauber	54	Suspension	0
12	20	Patrick Friesacher	Minardi	54	+3 laps	0
13	21	Christijan Albers	Minardi	53	+4 laps	0
Ret	3	Jenson Button	BAR	46	Clutch	0
Ret	4	Takuma Sato	BAR	27	Brakes	0
Ret	8	Nick Heidfeld	Williams	25	Engine	0
Ret	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	12	Hydraulics	0
Ret	6	Giancarlo Fisichella	Renault	4	Engine	0
Ret	19	Narain Karthikeyan	Jordan	2	Electrical	0
DNS	15	Christian Klien	Red Bull Racing	0	Electrical	0

2005 Bahrain Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time	Avg. Speed
1	10	Pedro de la Rosa	McLaren	43	1:31.447	213.054
2	5	Fernando Alonso	Renault	39	1:31.713	212.436
3	9	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren	41	1:31.822	212.184
4	16	Jarno Trulli	Toyota	41	1:32.324	211.030
5	3	Jenson Button	BAR	45	1:32.411	210.832
6	17	Ralf Schumacher	Toyota	36	1:32.683	210.213
7	1	Michael Schumacher	Ferrari	7	1:32.886	209.753
8	2	Rubens Barrichello	Ferrari	23	1:32.976	209.550
9	8	Nick Heidfeld	Williams	19	1:33.055	209.372
10	7	Mark Webber	Williams	20	1:33.087	209.300
11	4	Takuma Sato	BAR	23	1:33.124	209.217
12	12	Felipe Massa	Sauber	40	1:33.326	208.764
13	14	David Coulthard	Red Bull Racing	42	1:33.417	208.561
14	11	Jacques Villeneuve	Sauber	24	1:33.458	208.470
15	18	Tiago Monteiro	Jordan	18	1:35.744	203.492
16	20	Patrick Friesacher	Minardi	16	1:36.432	202.040
17	21	Christijan Albers	Minardi	3	1:36.913	201.038
18	6	Giancarlo Fisichella	Renault	2	1:37.036	200.783
19	19	Narain Karthikeyan	Jordan	2	1:37.533	199.760

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 Bahrain Grand Prix.

2005 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Fernando Alonso	Spanish	Renault	26
2	Jarno Trulli	Italian	Toyota	16
3	Giancarlo Fisichella	Italian	Renault	10
4	Ralf Schumacher	German	Toyota	9
5	David Coulthard	British	Red Bull Racing	9
6	Rubens Barrichello	Brazilian	Ferrari	8
7	Juan Pablo Montoya	Colombian	McLaren	8
8	Kimi Räikkönen	Finnish	McLaren	7
9	Mark Webber	Australian	Williams	7
10	Nick Heidfeld	German	Williams	6
11	Pedro de la Rosa	Spanish	McLaren	4
12	Christian Klien	Austrian	Red Bull Racing	3
13	Felipe Massa	Brazilian	Sauber	2
14	Michael Schumacher	German	Ferrari	2
15	Tiago Monteiro	Portuguese	Jordan	0
16	Jacques Villeneuve	Canadian	Sauber	0
17	Narain Karthikeyan	Indian	Jordan	0
18	Patrick Friesacher	Austrian	Minardi	0
19	Christijan Albers	Dutch	Minardi	0
–	Jenson Button	British	BAR	0
–	Takuma Sato	Japanese	BAR	0
–	Anthony Davidson	British	BAR	0

2005 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Renault	36
2	Toyota	25
3	McLaren	19
4	Williams	13
5	Red Bull Racing	12
6	Ferrari	10
7	Sauber	2
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