The 2005 Drivers Review

Fernando Alonso - Renault

World Champion
133 points
7 wins, 8 podiums, 6 pole positions, 2 fastest laps

Succeeding Michael Schumacher, and becoming the only other driver to win a WDC title in the 21st century, was always going to be a monumental achievement fraught with pressure. Fernando Alonso not only broke Schumacher's streak of five straight WDC titles, he did so in classic Schumacher style - showing great maturity and composure to grind out the title on attrition.

Renault's emphasis on reliability rather than speed gave Alonso the appearance (at times) of cruising. Fortunately, the young Spaniard wrapped up the Championship with two races to go, and was able to follow his more natural and aggressive style at Suzuka and Shanghai. Without those two performances to correct misperceptions, the 'cruiser' label may well have stuck.

Kimi Raikkonen - McLaren

2nd
112 points
7 wins, 5 podiums, 5 pole positions, 10 fastest laps

For the second time in three seasons, the young Finn challenged strongly for the title, only to fall agonizingly short. In 2003, he had reliability and consistency, but lacked the speed to win regularly. This year, it was the other way around. Raikkonen had awful luck with engine failures. But out of the bad luck came some good - that his seemingly hopeless Championship position freed him up to go for broke at every race.

It resulted in several dominant performances, and two last lap incidents - the suspension failure at Nurburgring and the pass on Fisichella at Suzuka - that marked Raikkonen as the most single-minded and competitive driver in the field.

Michael Schumacher - Ferrari

3rd
62 points
1 win, 4 podiums, 1 pole position, 3 fastest laps

The Ferrari/Bridgestone bubble was always going to burst at some stage, but few suspected that their 2005 challenge would be so anaemic. Schumacher can take consolation from beating one of the Renaults and one of the McLarens. Still, it will be a bitter disappointment that he couldn't mount a more competitive defence of his title.

The single victory at Indianapolis was the poorest season outcome in his ten years at Ferrari - with the added insult that he only won due to the withdrawal of the Michelin-shod teams. Although it would be a mistake to write off the German seven-time champion too soon. His performance at Imola showed that he is still a canny, fast and fierce competitor.

Juan Pablo Montoya - McLaren

4th
60 points
3 wins, 2 podiums, 2 pole positions, 1 fastest lap

Just as in 2003, Montoya had an anonymous start to the season, before exploding into top form later on. This year, his early-season shoulder injury gave him a valid excuse, although the Colombian has usually proven to be better in the second half of the season, even when fully healthy. At his best, he showed that he can beat even teammate Kimi Raikkonen. But too much bad luck, compounded by some questionable judgement, marred his season.

Giancarlo Fisichella - Renault

5th
58 points
1 win, 2 podiums, 1 pole position, 1 fastest lap

A dream debut win for Renault in Australia was the only highlight, as the season became progressively more frustrating and difficult for Fisichella. Hampered by continual niggling technical issues and failures that derailed many of his better performances, Fisichella can feel justifiably aggrieved. Still, even factoring in his technical misfortunes, he was unable to match teammate Alonso's pace and consistency. For the first time in his career, Fisichella suffered the sort of teammate trouncing that he'd become accustomed to dishing out.

Ralf Schumacher

6th
45 points
2 podiums, 1 pole position, 1 fastest lap

For the first half of the season, the younger Schumacher looked outclassed by his teammate Jarno Trulli. Another high-speed Schumacher accident at Indianapolis not only precipitated the eventual withdrawal of all the Michelin runners, it also threatened to scupper his season completely.

However, Schumacher is nothing if not dogged and he came back strongly, scoring 12 points in his next four races. Schumacher maintained the momentum down the stretch, and a stronger finish to the season - including a podium finish at the season finale in China - saw him sneak an unexpected sixth place in the WDC ahead of his teammate.

Jarno Trulli - Toyota

7th
43 points
3 podiums, 1 pole position

The enigma continues. Trulli started the season as if on a mission to show Renault how unwise they'd been to drop him late in 2004. Three podium finishes in the first five races saw Trulli trailing only his old Renault teammate Fernando Alonso in the WDC chase, and in a demonstrably inferior car.

Almost predictably, he went off the boil and never finished on the podium again after that, failing to score any points at all in the final four races of the year. If the gifted Italian could put together one consistent season from start to finish, he could be at Fernando Alonso's level. As it is, he remains the field's demon qualifier and most erratic racer.

Rubens Barrichello - Ferrari

8th
38 points
4 podiums

Despite having to play a distant second fiddle to Michael Schumacher during his five-year tenure at Ferrari, Rubens Barrichello could expect at least one win and string of podium finishes each season. Although the Ferrari dropped off the pace this season, 2005 started reasonably well for Barrichello.

After podium finishes in Australia, Europe and Canada, Barrichello was only three points behind his team leader when they arrived at Indianapolis. During that bizarre race, Schumacher pulled a typically forceful move on Barrichello to take the lead and the win. The Brazilian never fully recovered, recording only three minor points finishes in the remaining ten races.

Jenson Button - BAR

9th
37 points
2 podiums, 1 pole position

If Jenson Button hoped to build on his ten podium finishes of 2004 and perhaps even record his maiden GP win, he was in for a shock. Banned for two races due to a fuel tank/minimum weight irregularity, the BAR team had failed to score a single Constructors' Championship point by mid-season, their drivers trailing even the Minardi pairing in the WDC.

To his credit, Button turned it around and capped the season with ten straight points finishes. Although he only made it onto the podium twice during that streak, recovering from stone last to 9th in the WDC was a worthy achievement.

Mark Webber - Williams

10th
36 points
1 podium

Like Giancarlo Fisichella, Australian Mark Webber saw his dream opportunity turn sour. When he signed for BMW Williams in 2004, a top five WDC finish seemed eminently achievable. For most races this year, he ended up relieved to score any points at all. Webber still has the ability to turn in outstanding single-lap qualifying efforts but, hampered by Williams' downhill relationship with BMW and his own tendency to get involved in incidents, he couldn't turn that into race results. Worse still, he failed to impose the expected superiority over teammate Nick Heidfeld.

Nick Heidfeld - Williams

11th
28 points
3 podiums, 1 pole position

Like Webber, Heidfeld expected much from his move to BMW Williams. The under-rated German has seldom enjoyed a car that does justice to his talent, and 2005 was yet another disappointing season. Heidfeld does have reason to feel satisfied, though. It was widely expected that he would fail to challenge his much-vaunted teammate Mark Webber. Instead, Heidfeld not only matched Webber, but would probably have outscored him if he hadn't missed the final five races of the season through injury.

David Coulthard - Red Bull

12th
24 points

For the first time in his 12-year F1 career, Coulthard was away from the high-pressure environment of a team with Championship expectations. For many drivers, such a demotion would have been a disincentive. For Coulthard, it served to rejuvenate him and rekindle his zest for racing. He wasn't always able to dominate his unheralded teammate Christian Klien, but he didn't have to. Coulthard is at Red Bull Racing to enjoy his racing and to use his vast experience to benefit and build the team. He fulfilled that function perfectly.

Felipe Massa - Sauber

13th
11 points

Massa spent a mildly satisfying final year in the minor teams. His signing for Ferrari was one of the biggest stories of the year, and put extra pressure on him to perform. While four scoring finishes for a modest total of 11 WDC points wasn't particularly impressive, the young Brazilian continues to mature. He also managed to pip teammate and former WDC Jacques Villeneuve, although this achievement no longer rates as highly as it once did.

Jacques Villeneuve - Sauber

14th
9 points

The troubled Canadian started off the year much as he had finished 2004 - bemused, bewildered and well off the pace of a younger and hungrier teammate. To his credit, he worked hard and managed to bounce back as the season progressed, only surrendering a tight intra-team battle at the very last race. However, Felipe Massa is not recognised as an irresistibly fast and superior teammate. 2005, as much as any other season, merely confirmed that Villeneuve's first WDC title in 1997 would also be his last.

Christian Klien - Red Bull

15th
9 points

In 2004, Klien had seemed like a no-hoper compared to then Jaguar teammate Mark Webber. Given a second chance with Red Bull Racing in 2005, the Austrian improved and matured immensely, and was occasionally able to match team leader David Coulthard. His season could have been so much better if not for the superb reliability in F1 currently. Four times, Klien finished in ninth place, just one position out of the points.

Tiago Monteiro - Jordan

16th
7 points

If a rookie's primary requirement is to get noticed, then Monteiro did a fine job in 2005. Alas, he wasn't always noticed for the right reasons. His gleeful podium celebrations at Indianapolis drew incredulous reactions from the appropriately sombre Ferrari pairing of Schumacher and Barrichello. And in Turkey he again caught the eye as he clattered into the back of Juan Pablo Montoya's McLaren while being lapped. Nevertheless, Monteiro also put together an impressive string of sixteen consecutive finishes, unusual consistency for a driver in his debut season.

Alex Wurz - McLaren

17th
6 points
1 appearance, 1 podium

Regular McLaren tester Wurz was drafted in for the injured Juan Pablo Montoya at Imola. Qualifying in seventh place, almost two seconds behind pole-sitter and teammate Kimi Raikkonen, wasn't impressive given that Wurz arguably knows the McLaren car better than any other driver. Raikkonen retired early in the race, allowing Wurz to claim an eventual third place.

Narain Karthikeyan - Jordan

18th
5 points

Karthikeyan entered F1 with the blessing and burden of being India's first ever competitor in the formula. Initially, he made the same impression as Felipe Massa and Takuma Sato - potentially fast but wildly erratic. Alas, he never really came to grips with either the Jordan or F1 racing in general. By season's end, he looked as befuddled as he had been right at the start. Massa and Sato both got second chances. If Karthikeyan gets the same consideration, he will need to use it well.

Christijan Albers - Minardi

19th
4 points

Dutchman Albers failed to impress initially, only just outperforming fellow Minardi rookie Patrick Friesacher for the first half of the season. During the second half, Friesacher was replaced by Robert Doornbos. Albers again failed to dominate, losing 3-2 to Doornbos in races where both drivers finished. However, Albers did have the edge in qualifying, although neither Minardi driver did enough to ensure a longer-term future in the sport.

Pedro de la Rosa - McLaren

20th
4 points
1 appearance, 1 fastest lap

Like Alexander Wurz, McLaren third driver Pedro de la Rosa only got one chance to impress this season, when he stood in for Juan Pablo Montoya in Bahrain. Although de la Rosa scored fewer points than Wurz, this only illustrates how, in F1, results aren't everything. While Wurz had been anonymous in his single appearance, de la Rosa was a strong candidate for 'Driver of the Race' in Bahrain, outqualifying Kimi Raikkonen, setting the fastest lap and pulling off some excellent passes on his way to fifth place.

Patrick Friesacher - Minardi

21st
4 points
11 appearances

Austrian newcomer Friesacher's sponsorship funding only lasted for 11 races. He put up a decent showing against teammate Christijan Albers, being outqualified 5-6 and losing 1-2 in the three races where both finished. However, 2005 was not a standout year for rookies, and Friesacher didn't achieve enough to merit an extended run in F1.

Antonio Pizzonia - Williams

22nd
2 points
5 appearances

It was a deja vu year for Pizzonia. In 2004, he was called in by Williams to replace the injured Ralf Schumacher for four races. This time, the stricken Williams driver was Nick Heidfeld, and Pizzonia was granted a five race spell to try and relaunch his F1 ambitions. The Brazilian has long held that he was unfairly axed by Jaguar, but his performances in 2005 did nothing to help his cause. Scoring just two points from a seventh place finish at Monza, he was routinely outpaced by Mark Webber - just as he was at Jaguar.

Takuma Sato - BAR

23rd
1 point

Much was expected of Sato in 2005, after he'd tamed his initial wildness and developed into a better and more consistent racer in 2004. Sato failed to continue developing, and 2005 ended up disastrously for the former F3 star. Managing just a single WDC point - to teammate Jenson Button's 37 - it was no surprise when BAR announced that Rubens Barrichello would be replacing Sato in 2006.

Vitantonio Liuzzi - Red Bull

24th
1 point
4 appearances

Liuzzi was perhaps the most unfortunate F1 driver in 2005. From the start of the season, he was vying for the second Red Bull Racing seat with flatmate Christian Klien. With only one seat available, somebody had to draw the short straw, and Liuzzi lost out. The Italian acquitted himself reasonably well, scoring a point on debut and finishing just half a second out of the points in Europe. But Klien had marginally better results and the team justifiably gave him the extended run to prove himself.

Robert Doornbos - Minardi

25th
0 points
8 appearances

Former F3 driver Doornbos had the unenviable task of joining Minardi mid-season and attempting to play catch-up to fellow Netherlands rookie Christijan Albers. By the end of the season, Doornbos was on par with his slightly more experienced teammate, although a pair of 13th place finishes (his best performances) weren't likely to secure a longer-term F1 seat.

Anthony Davidson - BAR

26th
0 points
1 appearance

He came, he saw, he retired. After a couple of races for Minardi back in 2002, Anthony Davidson finally got a chance in a decent car - and suffered a dismal weekend. Qualifying more than two seconds off the pace of Jenson Button in the sister BAR, Davidson's race was no better, with engine failure dumping him into retirement just two laps after the start.

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