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Why Kimi Raikkonen? Because watching Kimi in banzai mode - Monza, Suzuka - is an experience so stirring that it reminds all true petrolheads of why, in their early teens, they first fell in love with the sport of Formula One. Some - Jim Clark, Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, occasionally Fernando Alonso, maybe even Jarno Trulli on one of his knife-edge qualifying laps, very few others - have driven as quickly. But no man has ever driven faster. And why Giancarlo Fisichella? Because, although he had a hugely disappointing season by his own rights, he kept Alonso honest, won in Australia, and could also have won in Spain and Canada with better luck. With better judgement, though, he should have won in Japan, too.
Why Japan? Surely, you're not serious. It was one of the best three Grands Prix in Formula One history, not merely in 2005. The 1979 French was perhaps as good - maybe better, and I will remember watching it on my 11-inch black-and-white portable TV till the day I die - as was the 1957 German, although we only have eye-witness reports to go on for that one. I enjoyed Imola for Alonso's stout defence - Michael isn't used to that, even now - and Monaco for overtaking, begad!
• Something to remember: Alonso going round the outside of Schumacher at 130R (unoriginal, but undeniably magic).
• Something to forget: Indianapolis - or Indy-gate, as we will forever remember it (unoriginal, but undeniably tragic).
