The2005 Belgian Grand Prix (officially the2005 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix)^[1] was aFormula One motor race held on 11 September 2005 atCircuit de Spa-Francorchamps near the village ofFrancorchamps,Wallonia,Belgium. It was the sixteenth race of the2005 FIA Formula One World Championship and the 62ndBelgian Grand Prix.

2005 Belgian Grand Prix
Race 16 of 19 in the2005 Formula One World Championship ← Previous race Next race →
Race details
Date	11 September 2005
Official name	2005 Formula 1 Belgian Grand Prix
Location	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps,Francorchamps,Wallonia,Belgium
Course	Permanent racing facility
Course length	6.976 km (4.335 miles)
Distance	44 laps, 306.944 km (190.726 miles)
Weather	Wet and dry
Pole position
Driver	Juan Pablo Montoya	McLaren-Mercedes
Time	1:46.391
Fastest lap
Driver	Ralf Schumacher	Toyota
Time	1:51.543 on lap 44
Podium
First	Kimi Räikkönen	McLaren-Mercedes
Second	Fernando Alonso	Renault
Third	Jenson Button	BAR-Honda
Lap leaders

The 44-lap race was won by Finnish driverKimi Räikkönen, driving aMcLaren-Mercedes, after he started from second position. Räikkönen's Colombian teammate,Juan Pablo Montoya, tookpole position and led until his second pit stop on lap 33; he then maintained second place until a late collision with Brazilian driverAntônio Pizzonia in theWilliams-BMW. SpaniardFernando Alonso thus took second in hisRenault, with EnglishmanJenson Button third in aBAR-Honda.

With three races remaining, Alonso led the Drivers' Championship by 25 points from Räikkönen, needing only six more to clinch the title. In the Constructors' Championship, McLaren reduced Renault's lead to six points.

It was also the last race at Spa-Francorchamps with this layout with changes to the Bus Stop chicane and pitlane completed for the2007 race

The bottom 6 teams in the2004 Constructors' Championship were entitled to run a third car in free practice on Friday. These drivers drove on Friday but did not compete in qualifying or the race.

Before the race, In theWorld Drivers' Championship Renault driverFernando Alonso was leading with 103 points;Kimi Räikkönen was second on 76 points, 27 points behind Alonso. Behind Alonso and Räikkönen in the Drivers' Championship,Michael Schumacher was third on 55 points in a Ferrari, withJuan Pablo Montoya andJarno Trulli on 50 and 43 points respectively. Renault were leading theConstructors' Championship with 144 points and McLaren were second with 136 points, with Ferrari third on 58 points.^[2]

Four practice sessions were held before the Sunday race—two on Friday from 11:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 15:00 local time, with the final two sessions held on Saturday morning between 09:00 to 09:45 and 10:15 to 11:00.^[3] In the first free practice session on Friday, Räikkönen was fastest with 1:48.206 minutes ahead of Wurz and Fisichella. In the second session on Friday, no driver recorded valid times due to adverse weather conditions. The only drivers who took to the track during the session were Liuzzi, Doornbos and Alonso. Running was stopped just five minutes into the one-hour session after Liuzzi's car swerved left under braking for Les Combes and spun 180 degrees before hitting the barriers on the right hand side then spinning across the gravel and coming to rest at a second set of barriers.^[4]

Saturday's afternoon qualifying session took place as a one-lap session held between 13:00 and 14:00. Drivers went out one at a time in the reverse order of their finishing positions at the previous race. The cars ran on the fuel that would be used for the Sunday race.^[3]

The race took place in the afternoon from 14:00 local time. On lap 11 Fisichella had an accident at Eau Rouge, emerging unhurt from his wrecked Renault but this brought out the safety car.^[5] On lap 14,Takuma Sato hitMichael Schumacher's car from behind, causing both to retire.^[6]Antônio Pizzonia crashed intoJuan Pablo Montoya—in second position at the time—shortly before the finish of the race.^[6]Jacques Villeneuve was able to finish sixth by virtue of a one-stop pit strategy, while other drivers stopped as many as five times.

This race saw theJordan team score their final point, courtesy ofTiago Monteiro, while theBAR team achieved their last podium finish throughJenson Button. Also,Ralf Schumacher scored his last, andToyota's first,fastest lap.

The race stewards ruled that Sato had caused the collision with Schumacher, and he would consequently drop ten places on the grid for the next Grand Prix inBrazil. They also fined Pizzonia $8,000 for his collision with Montoya.^[7]

Unusually, McLaren did not send a representative to the podium to collect the constructors' trophy, so, Räikkönen accepted it on behalf of the team.^[8]

Notes

• ^1 –Giancarlo Fisichella started the race from 13th place – the result of aten-place grid penalty given for an engine change between final practice and qualifying on the Saturday.^[6]

Notes

• ^1 – Robert Doornbos and Christijan Albers started the race from the pitlane.

• Bold text and an asterisk indicates who still has a theoretical chance of becoming World Champion.

• Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.

• 2005 Spa-Francorchamps GP2 Series round

50°26′14″N5°58′17″E / 50.43722°N 5.97139°E /50.43722; 5.97139