European GP: 29 May
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Race Track : Nürburgring
Location: Nürburg, Germany
Raceday : Sunday 29 May 2005
Time : 20:00 (Race) [Local Time]
2004 race winner : M Schumacher
The original Nurburgring, the Nordschleife, ran for an awe-inspiring 22.5 kilometres (14 miles). It was so long and so complicated that drivers simply could not remember a racing line. The Nurburgring was, in fact, two circuits: the Nordschleife and the Sudschleife. In total they had an amazing 172 corners.
It was safety which sealed the demise of the legendary track. Following Niki Lauda's terrifying accident there in 1976 in which he suffered horrendous burns, the Nurburgring's license to hold Formula One events was withdrawn.
The track underwent huge redevelopment to create a new circuit and in the spring of 1984 a race was held featuring 20 identical Mercedes 190Es and a grid composed of some of the best-ever Formula One drivers. Niki Lauda, Carlos Reutemann, Keke Rosberg, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, James Hunt, Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham, Phil Hill, John Surtees and Denny Hulme were just a few of the names to take part. Senna, then a relative youngster, won from Lauda and Reutemann.
The European Grand Prix was held at the new track later that year, and again in 1985, but it disappeared again after commercial difficulties. With the ascendancy of Michael Schuamcher, from nearby Kerpen, the track was once again back in Formula One in 1995. Posing as the Luxembourg Grand Prix for 1997 and 1998, it has, since then, taken the name of the European Grand Prix.
The track may not be as challenging as the old circuit, but it is still possible to take a trip down memory lane - literally. For just a few euros one can take a car onto the old track and soak up what was one of the most feared and yet respected circuits in the history of motorsport. -
Why is the Nurburgring also referred to as Circuit de Monaco?
Anyway, BAR will be back. Keep an eye out for them. -
BAR will be back, but they are not a threat at all this year. Even Toyota have out leaped them in terms of race and podium finishes this year...and Toyota is a new/young team...
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Hmmm there will be no Sunday qualifying for this GP
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The BAR team are due to start this weekendÂ’s European Grand Prix meeting with the same engines they ran at Imola in April - engines which have been sat idle for the best part of five weeks.
Under the 2005 regulations, each engine must last two consecutive race weekends. As both Jenson Button and Takuma Sato were running fresh V10s at San Marino prior to BARÂ’s two-race ban, those same engines must now be used at the Nurburgring.
This could put the team at a real disadvantage. While five weeks may not be a long period for a road engine to go unused, for its Formula One counterpart it is an age. A team starting a Grand Prix weekend with engines that have not even been fired up for well over a month is unheard of.
Formula One engines are not designed to stand idle. It is quite possible that seals in the engine will have started to wear and that metals will have begun to corrode, all making a potential failure - and hence a ten-spot grid penalty for the driver concerned - more likely.
That is not the only disadvantage BAR will face. While their rivals have been able to add numerous modifications to their engines over the weeks since Imola, BAR will not be able to utilise their latest developments.
And on top of all this, under the new qualifying format for this weekend - just a single Saturday session - Sato and Button will have to go out first, when track conditions are usually at their least favourable.
With all these factors against them, few would be surprised if BAR simply accept grid penalties as inevitable and bolt HondaÂ’s latest spec V10 into the 007. The car has continued to impress in testing since San Marino and the team is optimistic of a podium finish this weekend.
In all likelihood, the BAR cars will venture out in first practice with the old V10s in order to get some telemetry and driver feedback on their condition, giving their engineers some data on which to base any engine-change decisions. -
2005 European Grand Prix
1 Nick Heidfeld Williams-BMW 1:30.081
2 Kimi Räikkönen McLaren-Mercedes 1:30.197
3 Mark Webber Williams-BMW 1:30.368
4 Jarno Trulli Toyota 1:30.700
5 Juan Pablo Montoya McLaren-Mercedes 1:30.890
6 Fernando Alonso Renault 1:31.056
7 Rubens Barrichello Ferrari 1:31.249
8 Ralf Schumacher Toyota 1:31.392
9 Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 1:31.566
10 Michael Schumacher Ferrari 1:31.585
My bet is on Kimi to win and Michael to finish 2nd.... -
Michael is unpredictable during the second race he came back from 14th to 2nd now wen we expect him to do the same magic, he doesntOriginally posted by hmsg:2005 European Grand Prix
1 Nick Heidfeld Williams-BMW 1:30.081
2 Kimi Räikkönen McLaren-Mercedes 1:30.197
3 Mark Webber Williams-BMW 1:30.368
4 Jarno Trulli Toyota 1:30.700
5 Juan Pablo Montoya McLaren-Mercedes 1:30.890
6 Fernando Alonso Renault 1:31.056
7 Rubens Barrichello Ferrari 1:31.249
8 Ralf Schumacher Toyota 1:31.392
9 Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 1:31.566
10 Michael Schumacher Ferrari 1:31.585
My bet is on Kimi to win and Michael to finish 2nd....
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P No Driver Team Laps Time/Rtd Grid Pts
1 5 Fernando Alonso Renault 59 1:31:46.648 6 10
2 8 Nick Heidfeld Williams-BMW 59 +16.5 secs 1 8
3 2 Rubens Barrichello Ferrari 59 +18.5 secs 7 6
4 14 David Coulthard Red Bull Racing 59 +31.5 secs 12 5
5 1 Michael Schumacher Ferrari 59 +50.4 secs 10 4
6 6 Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 59 +51.9 secs 9 3
7 10 Juan Pablo Montoya McLaren-Mercedes 59 +58.1 secs 5 2
8 16 Jarno Trulli Toyota 59 +71.0 secs 4 1
9 15 Vitantonio Liuzzi Red Bull Racing 59 +71.5 secs 14
10 3 Jenson Button BAR-Honda 59 +95.7 secs 13
11 9 Kimi Räikkönen McLaren-Mercedes 58 +1 Lap 2
12 4 Takuma Sato BAR-Honda 58 +1 Lap 16
13 11 Jacques Villeneuve Sauber-Petronas 58 +1 Lap 15
14 12 Felipe Massa Sauber-Petronas 58 +1 Lap 11
15 18 Tiago Monteiro Jordan-Toyota 58 +1 Lap 17
16 19 Narain Karthikeyan Jordan-Toyota 58 +1 Lap 19
17 21 Christijan Albers Minardi-Cosworth 57 +2 Laps 20
18 20 Patrick Friesacher Minardi-Cosworth 56 +3 Laps 18
Ret 17 Ralf Schumacher Toyota 33 Spin 8
Ret 7 Mark Webber Williams-BMW 0 Accident 3
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Woohoo, Alonso is back on the podium. And is 2nd place Heidfield's best finish so far?
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Drivers' standings after the European Grand Prix at the Nurburgring:
Pos Driver Nationality Team Points
Constructors' standings after the European Grand Prix at the Nurburgring:
1 Fernando Alonso Spanish Renault 59
2 Kimi Räikkönen Finnish McLaren-Mercedes 27
2= Jarno Trulli Italian Toyota 27
4 Nick Heidfeld German Williams-BMW 25
5 Mark Webber Australian Williams-BMW 18
6 Giancarlo Fisichella Italian Renault 17
6= Ralf Schumacher German Toyota 17
8 Michael Schumacher German Ferrari 16
8= Juan Pablo Montoya Colombian McLaren-Mercedes 16
10 Rubens Barrichello Brazilian Ferrari 15
10= David Coulthard British Red Bull Racing 15
12 Alexander Wurz Austrian McLaren-Mercedes 6
13 Jacques Villeneuve Canadian Sauber-Petronas 5
14 Pedro de la Rosa Spanish McLaren-Mercedes 4
15 Christian Klien Austrian Red Bull Racing 3
16 Felipe Massa Brazilian Sauber-Petronas 2
17 Vitantonio Liuzzi Italian Red Bull Racing 1Pos Constructor Points
1 Renault 76
2 McLaren-Mercedes 53
3 Toyota 44
4 Williams-BMW 43
5 Ferrari 31
6 Red Bull Racing 19
7 Sauber-Petronas 7 -
unlucky break from kimi...
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but he is still in the standings... hmm weird
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McLaren insisted they had been right to keep Kimi Raikkonen out on track after the Finn crashed out of the lead on the final lap of SundayÂ’s European Grand Prix.
Raikkonen went spinning into the gravel just four kilometres from home after the front-right suspension on his MP4-20 finally collapsed following 15 laps of vicious vibration caused by a flat spotted tyre.
The punishment both car and driver were taking was obvious to spectators and TV viewers alike, prompting many to question whether the team should have played for points and brought Raikkonen in. Team boss Ron Dennis disagreed.
“Kimi was able to cope with the inevitable blurred vision for over 15 laps and the team discussed with him his tyre condition,” he said. “We jointly decided to go for the win and no member of the team including Kimi regrets this decision. The resulting suspension failure was understandable in the circumstances.”
RaikkonenÂ’s retirement handed victory to RenaultÂ’s Fernando Alonso, who had been rapidly closing on the ailing McLaren in the closing laps. The SpaniardÂ’s win extended his championship lead over Raikkonen to 32 points, while RenaultÂ’s advantage over McLaren in the constructorsÂ’ standings grew to 23 points.
McLarenÂ’s only consolation was the two points scored by Juan Pablo Montoya for seventh place. The ColombianÂ’s race prospects took a severe knock at the very first corner when the Williams of Mark Webber ran into his McLaren, dropping him from fifth on the grid to 13th place on the opening lap.