2005 Belgian Grand Prix

Championship standings

Alonso leads with 103 points. Räikkönen is second on 76 points, 27 points behind. Michael Schumacher is third on 55 points, with Montoya on 50 and Trulli on 43. In the Constructors’ Championship, Renault lead with 144 points and McLaren are second with 136, Ferrari third on 58.

Previous race

Montoya won Monza ahead of Alonso and Fisichella. Räikkönen qualified on pole but started eleventh after a ten-place engine penalty and climbed to fourth, losing a podium to a deflated tyre that forced a second pit stop. No driver retired during the race — a feat not achieved in Formula One with a full grid since the 1961 Dutch Grand Prix. Heidfeld missed the race through headaches after his Monza test crash, replaced by Pizzonia.

Practice

In the first free practice session on Friday, Räikkönen is fastest with a time of 1:48.206, ahead of Wurz and Fisichella. No driver records valid times in the second Friday session due to adverse weather conditions. Only Liuzzi, Doornbos and Alonso take to the track before running is stopped five minutes into the session after Liuzzi’s car snaps left under braking for Les Combes, strikes the barriers and spins across the gravel into a second set of barriers.