2005 season review (2)

[season review]

before i start my second review, check out what other people think of the 2005 season, using my 'template' of the first review.

tiuniasing's review
peekaboooh's review

i quite like what they have writen up. they have interesting points and there's no right or wrong, and it is always nice to read what other people think.

ok, here's part 2 of my 2005 season review.

most likable circuit: turkey
of course, we can't be talking about the classic circuits because they are just that - classics. so it is always exciting when a new comer comes along. sepang, bahrain, and shanghai are few of the more recent additions. when they were introduced, they boasted about their great facilities and the awesome huge grandstands with the wide tracks. however, none of them was as exciting and as likable as the new turkey circuit. instantaneously, the turkey circuit became a classic.

the awesome fast corners are just fun to watch. yet the corners aren't easy, and we can expect years after years for people to make mistakes there. the corners provide that element of uncertainties or hope that someone will make a major mistake and subsequently make the championship wide open. this circuit should become one of the final ones, because it definitely is a make-or-break circuit.

best race: imola
no, i haven't forgotten the japanese grandprix. in fact, most people would have forgotten about the imola grandprix because it had been such a long season. no doubt the japanese gp was a fun race, but let me remind you of imola and why it was the best race of the season.

first off, will the japanese gp be as exciting if the weather didn't interfere? i seriously doubt it. when you throw in the unpredictability of weather, it is bound to be interesting and, well, unpredictable. imola, on the other hand, was supposed to be a straightforward race judging from the grid position. however when the lights went off, straightforward went out the window and it was pure excitement.

the most exciting part was when michael schumacher stormed from 14th position to 3rd after one pitstop, driving an under-par vehicle. plus, he overtook so many cars, including a cheating jensen button, on a track that is nearly impossible to overtake what more with all those aerodynamic turbulence crap. we got a sense and realization of how good michael actually is. other than michael, we also got to see how good fernando is. his defence was admirable and the fights till the checkered flag was the best of the whole season.

worst race: shanghai
it was the worst race because it was so boring. even the american gp, which featured only six cars, was more exciting. was it because the drivers didn't make the effort since it was the last race? i wouldn't think so. i don't remember last year's shanghai gp to be exciting as well. the characteristic of the circuit is probably the reason why it was, and will continue to be, so boring. there aren't many fast corners, and the long straights are perfect for creating f1 trains.

worst of all, the faulty drain cover that ruined montoya's race shouldn't have happened as it could have killed someone. and what can we say about the marshalls who took quite a while to do their jobs? the race just wasn't worthwhile at all.

best qualifying: michael schumacher
his only pole position of the season came durinf the end of the mid-season, at hungary, where the performance of the ferrari was utter crap. because it was his only pole position, it brought into perspective how hard it actually was to achieve. surprisingly, he qualified a clear one second ahead of montoya, the fastest time of the whole weekend. michael couldn't even believe it himself, and you could see how happy he was.

and it wasn't one of those qualifying gimmicks that toyota loves to do, running extremely low fuel just to be on the headline. michael schumacher had legitimate fuel level in his car. during the race, he came in for fuel unexpectedly late - in fact four laps later than kimi raikkonen (qualify fourth) and two laps later than jarno trulli (qualifying third). how did he do that??

best crash: kimi raikkonen
it was a close one between klien's flip and kimi's nurgburging crash. although an overturning f1 car is hard to come by these days, it wasn't as spectacular or dramatic as kimi's front suspension damage. when it was replayed several times in slow motion, it was an adrenaline rush to see the suspension totally desintegrated. the wheel almost hit kimi's head, but it was fortunate the safety wire held on to the wheel like it was supposed to.

no crash is good, because a serious injury or even death could happen. but this was a very memorable damage because it was inflicted by kimi himself when he flat spotted the tyre. furthermore, it happened at the ultimate lap. that was pretty bizarre.



by the way, do you think 2005 was a great season? well, i don't. stay tuned for the reason and the final part of the 2005 season review, coming soon.



previous posts:
season review 1:2005 season review (1)
post-season: f1 car to become ugly
post-season: ted answers back
shanghai: renault takes it all
shanghai: pit strategy to determine all
shanghai: windsor's wisdom
japan: japanese gp is the bomb
japan: rain creates havoc in japan
brazil: championship alonso's to take
spa: go back to driving school!
spa: kimi will win spa
mid-season: eddie's words of wisdom
monza: where will the pay drivers go?
monza: kimi will win monza
monza: coulthard speaks his mind
turkey: excellent new turkey experience
mid-season: greatest f1 driver
hungaro-ring: one more pole to go
hockenheim: the rain that never came
hockenheim: pessimism says it all for germany
mid-season: 2006 qualifying hopefuls
silverstone: renault vs mclaren
magny-cours: absolute beauty
indianapolis: michelin farce
indianapolis: indianapolis motor speedway
montreal: post-montreal notes
montreal: canadian gp preview
montreal: lopsided mirrors?
nurburgring: ferrari to make or break
monaco: f1 and star wars don't mix
barcelona: the era is all over
imola: from zero to hero
imola: f1 aero upgrades
bahrain: what a joke
sepang: bring out the new car!!
sepang: toyota f1 rev party
sepang: klcc sauber f1 street demo
melbourne: the wait is over!
pre-season: the viking
pre-season: nose job
pre-season: b.a.r. unveiled a goose
pre-season: sweet sauber
pre-season: evolution not revolution
pre-season: sauber ain't coming


[tagged: ferrari, formula 1]