The 2005 Formula One season was the start of a new era. There were new regulations, new teams at the front, and a new champion. After dominating for five years with Ferrari, Michael Schumacher was no longer the reigning world champion, losing his crown to the young Fernando Alonso. 

Fernando Alonso celebrating his first Driver’ Championship at the Brazilian Grand Prix. (Photo via formula1.com)

But, what happened throughout the season that led to this? How did Ferrari fall behind, leaving Renault and McLaren Mercedes to fight at the front?

Honda engine failure at the Malaysian Grand Prix. (Photo via autosport.com)

A Big Change in Regulations

2005 was the first and only season where tyre changes were banned during pit stops, facing ten-second time penalties if they changed the tyres. One set of tyres had to last throughout qualifying and the race, sometimes becoming dangerously degraded. 

The second big regulation change, one that would pave the way for current engine regulations, was the requirement for an engine to last two race weekends. This regulation forced teams to make their engines last twice as long, causing a large amount of engine failures throughout the season.

The Tyre War

While Pirelli is the sole tyre provider now, that wasn’t always the case. The season was pinnacle of the ongoing war between Michelin and Bridgestone, caused by Michelin reentering the sport in 2001. In most races, the Michelin tyres performed much better than the Bridgestones. Ferrari was one of only three teams to use the Bridgestone tyres, and they struggled throughout the season because of this disadvantage. 

This led to the infamous 2005 United States Grand Prix in Indianapolis, where an issue with the Michelin tyres resulted in the six Bridgestone runners being the only cars to start the Grand Prix. The controversial race resulted in Michael Schumacher’s only win of the season. 

Fernando’s Win & McLaren’s Potential

Renault looked strong from the first race, where Giancarlo Fisichella finished 1st and Fernando Alonso 2nd. After this initial podium, Alonso went on to win the next three races, holding off Schumacher at the San Marino Grand Prix in what is considered one of Alonso’s best performances. 

Despite these issues, Räikkönen had some amazing performances, a stand-out being his win at the Japanese Grand Prix. (Photo via formula1.com)

As the season progressed, the McLaren became the faster car, and Kimi Räikkönen emerged as a champion contender. McLaren had the speed and the driver to fight for the title, but they suffered from reliability issues. There were multiple occasions where Räikkönen was comfortably leading a Grand Prix until an issue caused him to retire.

Fernando Alonso’s consistency was the key to his first world title, which he won at the Brazilian Grand Prix. He became the youngest World Champion (at the time) at 24 years old, putting an end to Michael Schumacher’s four-year-long domination with Ferrari and ushering in a new era of Formula 1.