2005 Monaco Grand Prix

Infobox Grand Prix race report
Type = F1
Country = Monaco
Grand Prix = Monaco
Date = May 22
Year = 2005


Race_No = 6
Official name = LXIII Grand Prix de Monaco
Season_No = 19
Location = Circuit de Monaco, Monaco
Course = Street circuit
Course_mi = 2.075
Course_km = 3.34
Distance_laps = 78
Distance_mi = 161.85
Distance_km = 260.52
Weather = Fine
Pole_Driver = Kimi Räikkönen
Pole_Team = McLaren-Mercedes
Pole_Time = 2:30.323 (aggregate)
Pole_Country = Finland
Fast_Driver = Michael Schumacher
Fast_Team = Ferrari
Fast_Time = 1:15.842
Fast_L

Fast_Country = Germany
First_Driver = Kimi Räikkönen
First_Team = McLaren-Mercedes
First_Country = Finland
Second_Driver = Nick Heidfeld
Second_Team = Williams-BMW
Second_Country= Germany
Third_Driver = Mark Webber
Third_Team = Williams-BMW
Third_Country = AustraliaThe 2005 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on May 20ndash May 22, 2005 at the Circuit de Monaco.__FORCETOC__

ummary

Polesitter Kimi Räikkönen led the field from the start of the race, and though he was at first closely followed by Fernando Alonso, he was more than five seconds ahead by the twentieth lap. The race progressed otherwise uneventfully, with Alonso followed by Giancarlo Fisichella, Jarno Trulli, and Mark Webber, until the twenty-third lap, when Christijan Albers spun his Minardi into a wall at Mirabeau, blocking about two-thirds of the width of the track. David Coulthard, arriving behind him, swerved and successfully stopped his Red Bull without damage; however, Michael Schumacher plowed into Coulthard, breaking off his own nosecone and damaging the Red Bull's suspension beyond repair. As more drivers reached the blocked turn, stewards removed Albers's car and deployed the safety car.

Both Renault drivers pitted immediately, but Räikkönen was unable to do the same, having just passed the pit entrance. Though this seemingly put Räikkönen in a bad spot, as all of his close competitors had pitted, he fought back with a series of brilliant laps that would give him a 34.7-second lead by the time he pitted on lap 42. Alonso, whose car was substantially slower as it was full of fuel, and whose rear tyres were wearing rapidly, was unable to catch up, and Räikkönen, after pitting, returned to the track still 13 seconds ahead. He would go on to win the race having led every lap of it.

Nick Heidfeld worked his way up from sixth grid position, passing his own teammate in the pits after Williams called him in a lap earlier whilst Alonso was badly holding the two Williams drivers up. After Heidfeld's stop, a superb overtaking manoeuvre into the Nouvelle chicane put him ahead of Alonso. Webber tried to follow suit a lap later, but on the first attempt Alonso missed the corner yet stayed in front, and on the second attempt succeeded for good. Alonso straggled into fourth, his rear tyres almost entirely bald. Montoya advanced from sixteenth on the grid to an eventual fifth, finishing on Alonso's tail, followed by Michael and Ralf Schumacher, who crossed the line almost side-by-side.

Classification

Qualifying

:"* = Narain Karthikeyan had an engine change":"# = Montoya's Saturday time of 1:14.858 deleted as punishment for role in earlier practice accident

Race

Notes

* Pole position: Kimi Räikkönen
* Fastest l
Michael Schumacher 1:15.842
* First Podium: Mark Webber
* This was the first Monaco Grand Prix held after the death of Prince Rainier III
* Banned BAR-Honda driver Jenson Button joined James Allen and Martin Brundle in the ITV-F1 commentary box to overlook the weekend's race.
* Both Red Bull Racing cars ran with the "" Livery and, for part of the race, the Red Bull Racing pit crew dressed up as Imperial Stormtroopers

F1 race report
Name_of_race = Monaco Grand Prix
Year_of_race = 2005
Previous_race_in_season = 2005 Spanish Grand Prix
Next_race_in_season = 2005 European Grand Prix
Previous_year's_race = 2004 Monaco Grand Prix
Next_year's_race = 2006 Monaco Grand Prix
Previous_promotional_trophy_winner = 2004 Bahrain Grand Prix
Next_promotional_trophy_winner = 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix