BMW WilliamsF1 2005 Season Review

They were meant to get back on track for success, but the BMW WilliamsF1 Team were left trailing behind the leaders. The German-British partnership suffered its second difficult season in succession in 2005 and dropped back to fifth place in the Constructors’ standings.

Their sixth season together – and the longest ever in Formula One history with 19 Grands Prix – also signalled the end of the partnership between BMW and WilliamsF1. BMW has taken over Swiss-based Sauber and will be fielding its own team for the 2006 season.

“Over these six years, both sides have learnt a lot and benefited a great deal from one another”, summarised BMW’s Motorsport Director, Mario Theissen. “Both partners are stronger today than at the start of our joint venture. For four years we exceeded our targets and in 2003 we were in the running for the World Championship title right up to the final race. But instead of making the crucial step forward, in 2004 and 2005 we lost touch with the leaders.”

Ten wins, including three one-two victories, a total of 45 podium places and
17 pole positions were accrued in 104 joint races since the year 2000.
In the season just ended, the BMW WilliamsF1 Team failed to take a Grand
Prix win for the first time since 2000 and ended the season with 66 points,
placing them fifth in the final rankings. Despite ongoing improvements and
comprehensive modifications halfway through the season, the Williams BMW
FW27 proved uncompetitive.

The season’s highlights for the BMW WilliamsF1 Team were the races in Monaco and at the Nürburgring. The coastal principality saw German Nick Heidfeld (28) and his Australian team-mate Mark Webber (29) climb the
podium together in the most prestigious of Grands Prix after finishing second and third respectively. In the Eifel a week later, Heidfeld secured the first pole position of his F1 career and took another second-placed finish. Prior to that he had come third in Malaysia. These four podium places would remain the final tally for 2005. Webber ended the season with 36 points to place him tenth overall, while Heidfeld came eleventh with 28 points. Brazilian driver Antonio Pizzonia (25), who had stood in for an injured Heidfeld in the last five races of the season, chipped in two championship points.

At the Brazilian Grand Prix, the 17th of 19 championship races, Renault driver
Fernando Alonso (24) was already hailed as the youngest Formula One World
Champion in history. Renault went on to clinch the Constructors’ title at the final in China with 191 points ahead of McLaren-Mercedes’ 182.

Australian GP.

On 31st January 2005 in Valencia, the FW27 was rolled out and Nick Heidfeld presented as the second team driver alongside Mark Webber. Some sobering test results ensued for the car, which had undergone significant aerodynamic modifications to meet the new regulations. At the curtain-raiser in Melbourne,  more new rules came into play: both qualifying and the race had to be run on the same set of tyres, the aggregate times over two flying laps (Saturday and Sunday) would determine the grid line-up, and the BMW P84/5 engines had to last for two GP weekends. The first qualifying session took place on a wet track, revealing little in terms of the competitive situation. Webber came third and Heidfeld seventh after a mistake.

Second qualifying left things as they were. Although Webber was pleased with his best time, even on a dry track it was impossible to make up for the previous day’s times. In the race, Webber lost ground at the start and finished fifth after an otherwise fault-free performance. Heidfeld had managed to move up into fifth at the start, but with 15 laps to go a collision with Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) meant the end of the race for him. But the first race had proved better than expected.

Malaysian GP.

The second race of the season bestowed the first podium place. In wilting humidity and 37 degrees Celsius in the shade, Heidfeld managed to claw his way from tenth on the grid to a third-placed finish. Despite a faulty drinking bottle, he was as fit at the end of the race as if he had been out on a leisurely spin, and was roundly complimented on his outstanding passing manoeuvres. Webber, who had started from fourth on the grid, might have made it onto the podium had he not retired on lap 37 of 56 after coming into contact with Giancarlo Fisichella (Renault). On lap 40, Heidfeld recorded the second-fastest lap of the entire field. One thing was now clear: not Ferrari, but Renault was the team to beat.

Bahrain GP.

Three points were the lean pickings from the Arabian desert. Webber finished in sixth place while Heidfeld retired on lap 26 out of 57 in the hottest F1 race for a decade (42 °C) with a blown engine. He was the only driver to compete with an engine that had already endured the hot Malaysian GP. There were seven retirements in all. After a strong qualifying performance – Heidfeld was fourth on the grid, Webber fifth – the outcome of the race was disappointing. Though Webber’s engine lasted the distance, his BMW P84/5 was also running at its thermal limits and could not be spun up to its full revs. It meant neither driver had a genuine chance to mount an attack. While in third place, Webber spun halfway through the race to lose two more positions. As had been the case in Malaysia, new aerodynamic components arrived at the circuit over the weekend.

San Marino GP.

After two race-free weekends, the FW27 turned up at Imola with yet more aerodynamic modifications. Webber qualified fourth on the grid and Heidfeld took the number eight slot. Once again their starts misfired and they forfeited two positions each. After Raikkonen’s retirement from the race, Alonso and Button formed the leading pair. Trulli followed after a considerable gap – and held up the rest of the pack, first and foremost Webber, who was in fourth place ahead of the initial pit stops. Bringing up the rear of this huddle was Heidfeld in ninth. After the refuelling stops Webber was still stuck behind Trulli.

A passing attempt failed and cost him another place. Meanwhile, back in the pit lane Heidfeld lost a position to Ralf Schumacher, who was later handed a 25-second penalty for his rash manoeuvre. In the European curtain-raiser, which delivered some exhilarating racing among the front-runners with Michael Schumacher and Alonso staging a dramatic battle between the “King” and the “Crown Prince”, the BMW WilliamsF1 Team drivers merely played bit parts. This was down to bad starts, heavy traffic and under-performing cars. Heidfeld and Webber crossed the finish line in ninth and tenth places respectively. As a result of Schumacher’s penalty and the disqualification of both BAR Honda drivers, they retrospectively moved up into sixth and seventh places.

Spanish GP.

The Spaniards paid tribute to the achievements of their compatriot with packed terraces. The Renault driver finished as runner-up to Raikkonen, whose performance demonstrated that in a trouble-free race, the McLaren-Mercedes was the most powerful car in the field. The BMW WilliamsF1 Team had to settle for three points in Barcelona. Thursday’s inspection of Heidfeld’s engine, which ordinarily would have had to contest its second GP, revealed a damaged exhaust valve. The fresh BMW P84/5 destined for Webber was lined up with the same valves. These parts could have led to an early end to the race, and so two engines with modified specifications were immediately assembled in Munich. Heidfeld and Webber emerged from the pit garage for Saturday’s training with fresh power units on board. As a result, Webber had to forgo Friday’s practice and Heidfeld was relegated to the back of the grid. Webber qualified for second place on the grid.

Along with the new engines, new aerodynamic parts were flown in on Friday and Saturday. Webber’s good qualifying performance was partly down to a light fuel load: the team planned to give him a boost with a short first stint. But a bad start on the dirty side of the track scotched that plan and Webber got stuck in traffic. At the first pit stop the team switched strategy and filled his FW27 tank up so that he would only have to come in for one more refuelling stop. Webber had already lost pace with the leaders, and now the heavy fuel load was taking its toll on the tyres. He finished the race in sixth place. In the dense traffic, Heidfeld did not make it beyond tenth.

GP Monaco.

In the most important race of the year, the team put up a valiant fight to gain two podium places. After some brilliant overtaking manoeuvres, Heidfeld finished second and Webber came third. At the sixth GP of the season it seemed they had suddenly cracked it. Webber had qualified third on the grid, but made a slow getaway. Heidfeld, meanwhile, launched into the race so fast from sixth place that he almost slammed into Webber. For 25 laps the two of them, driving in fourth and fifth positions, were unable to get past Trulli on Monaco’s narrow circuit. Then a Minardi blocked the road to half a dozen drivers. While cars were manoeuvring to get past, the safety car was called out.

The team immediately brought both drivers back to the pits for an early stop. After that, Webber and Heidfeld were stuck behind Alonso. In order to get them out of the traffic jam, the second pit stops were brought forward. Heidfeld was subsequently in third place in front of Webber and was closing the gap to Alonso, who was struggling with worn tyres. On lap 71, Heidfeld risked a spirited attack ahead of the chicane after the Monaco Tunnel and managed to overpower Alonso. Three laps later, Webber repeated the manoeuvre at the same spot. This time the team had got everything right with their choice of hard tyres and smart tactics.

European GP.

There were further successes to come: on the Nürburgring Heidfeld claimed the first pole position of his F1 career and on Sunday took to the podium as runner-up for the second time in succession. But the joy was dampened by Webber’s premature retirement in the first turn. After a bad start from third on the grid, he had collided with Montoya. Starting with the Nürburgring race, Sunday morning’s second timed lap had been abolished. In what was now a single qualifying lap on Saturday, Webber came third. He was lined up for a two-stop strategy. Heidfeld driving in a lighter car (on a three-stopper) snatched pole position ahead of Raikkonen. In the race Heidfeld stayed glued to Raikkonen’s tail up until his early pit stop on lap 12 out of 60.

Following that he was fourth and remained so after his second stop. He gained a position when Barrichello (the only rival on a three-stopper) went in for refuelling. After his third pit stop Heidfeld was still in third place. He inherited second place when Raikkonen lost his right front wheel while in the lead on lap 59. Heidfeld had run another flawless race. The bold strategy had paid off and the harder Michelin tyre compound had once again proved the right choice. The trend continued to point upwards.

Canadian GP.

Though Montreal is not in the tropics, the weather might have had one believe otherwise. On Sunday the barometer indicated more than 30 degrees Celsius and extremely high humidity. The team had not reckoned with that. For extended periods the BMW engines were running above healthy temperatures. The tyres, on the other hand, could not be brought up to operating temperature on just one fast lap. Both drivers struggled with these circumstances during qualifying. With their cars proving very difficult to handle, they made mistakes and ended up 13th (Heidfeld) and 14th (Webber) on the grid.

At the start of the race Heidfeld managed to surge into tenth place behind Massa and stayed there, which forced engine temperatures into the danger zone. If Heidfeld had eased off, he would have been trounced by Ralf Schumacher. 43 laps later his engine had literally burnt out and Heidfeld had to retire from seventh place. Webber had carved his way up into ninth place when he outbraked himself, allowing three rivals past. It was a GP littered with retirements. The team smartly used a safety car phase on lap 47 to bring forward Webber’s second pit stop. Following that he was temporarily in fourth place, but lost two places when the race reopened. As a precaution, his engine power was also turned down. With seven laps to go, Trulli’s retirement swept Webber into fifth place.

USA GP.

The 2005 US GP entered the history books as a “fiasco” among other scathing epithets. Only six cars had taken part, namely the Bridgestone customers. None of the seven teams on Michelin runners were able to compete because the tyre manufacturer could not guarantee the safety of its product in the banked turn of the Indianapolis Speedway. On Friday, the left rear tyre on two Toyota cars had burst. In Saturday morning’s third free practice session, all the Michelin-shod cars drove through pit lane instead of the banking.

For the fourth practice session Michelin allowed a few complete laps with a number of provisos, and in qualifying the tyre pressure had to be raised. That meant the set-up was no longer appropriate. Webber took ninth place on the grid and Heidfeld 15th. Whether and how, under these circumstances, a race could be run was the subject of heated discussion in several committees. There was no solution that would have guaranteed safety as well as adhering to the regulations. The result was an angry crowd of spectators, compensation claims and the only win of the season for title defender Michael Schumacher on Ferrari.

French GP.

For the tenth of 19 GPs, WilliamsF1 presented a car with more aerodynamic modifications. Great hopes were invested in the new aero-package, but the results were sobering: Webber and Heidfeld finished twelfth and 14th in Magny-Cours. The race was as disappointing as qualifying had been, where Webber and Heidfeld had come 13th and 14th. They were of an opinion that the new car handled well but was too slow – despite a three-stop strategy and correspondingly low weight. Plenty went amiss in the race, with Heidfeld having to pit six times. He finally crossed the finish line four laps behind and headed straight home – in time for the birth of his first daughter.

Webber, who had been lapped twice, was also in a hurry. He hobbled into the medical centre with an open burn on his hip caused by hot air penetrating the cockpit. During his pit stops the team tried to provide relief by pouring water into the cockpit. Ten days earlier, on 22nd June, BMW had announced in Munich that it would be taking over the Sauber team.

British GP.

Six times in the 2005 season, Formula One had to contend with back-to-back GPs without a race-free weekend in between. Between the races in France and England there was similarly no time for problem-solving. In the BMW WilliamsF1 Team garage a variety of front wings and a long list of set-up variations were lined up. During Friday’s practice sessions Webber and Heidfeld failed to make it into the top ten. On Saturday two different cars rolled out of the pits: Heidfeld’s FW27 had largely been readjusted to the pre Magny-Cours specifications while Webber continued to drive the new “MK II” body.

The British Grand Prix would be a comparative test. Both drivers had to pay for their mediocre performance in France with early starts in qualifying. Webber was twelfth, Heidfeld 14th. Webber crossed the line in eleventh place, Heidfeld in twelfth. The new aero-package proved it still required further work in order to be competitive on track so work at Grove continued tirelessly to this effect.

German GP.

At last the MK II bodywork had been put through its paces in test conditions – over three days in Jerez (where on 13th/14th July the V8 engine for 2006 was also tested for the first time). In qualifying at the BMW home event in
Hockenheim things were beginning to look up: Webber came sixth, Heidfeld seventh. The lap times were partly accounted for by relatively low vehicle weight – the team had opted for three-stoppers – but were nevertheless encouraging. Heidfeld made progress at the start of the race and was in a good fifth position until his first pit stop. Then he got caught up amid a group of two-stoppers. This hampered his progress and, to compound the situation, the balance of his car deteriorated as well.

After his second stop he had dropped back to eleventh place, and that is how things remained after the third stop as well. For Webber the race was more or less over in the first corner, where he collided with Sato after the start and damaged his rear wheel suspension. After a lengthy repair stop the Australian was left lagging by eleven laps. He was last to cross the finishing line twelve laps down and was not classified, with the current qualifying system, however, it was always important to continue in the race.

Hungarian GP.

After coming away from four GPs empty-handed, the BMW WilliamsF1 Team finally made it back into the points in the hot cauldron of the Hungaroring, where Heidfeld and Webber finished sixth and seventh. Their qualifying positions – Heidfeld twelfth, Webber 16th – had appeared worse than they actually were, with Webber being the second man to go out. The team had opted for a two-stop strategy with long first stints and both cars were correspondingly heavy with fuel. It wasn’t exactly a smooth start to the race either. Accidents at the head of the field took both Red Bull cars out of the race. By the end of the second lap Heidfeld and Webber were in eighth and twelfth positions. The BMW engineers glued to the monitors in the pits raised the alarm: the water temperature in Heidfeld’s engine was far too high.

The cause was instantly and accurately surmised – debris in one of the cooling ducts. For the time being Heidfeld had to drive with an engine management program that held its power in check. Only after the blockage was removed at his first stop was Heidfeld able to take the engine up to peak performance again. After their second pit stops, Heidfeld and Webber were firmly ensconced in sixth and seventh places. The team once again had brought new aero components for the FW27 to Hungary, which contributed to the improvement in the car’s performance.

Turkish GP.

Formula One was looking forward to the new venue, and the hosts on the Bosphorus extended a warm welcome. The combination of an exciting track layout, good logistics and a bustling metropolis was a successful one. In the more than two-week break since the Hungarian GP, the FW27 had again received further modifications and both drivers substantiated the advances that had been made. Qualifying was a tumultuous occasion with numerous cars spinning off the track. Webber completed a faultless lap but was held up by Sato, who was still out on track on his in lap. Heidfeld was next in line after Webber and proved a little faster.

On Sunday, he made a good getaway from sixth place on the grid. Webber was in the number seven slot on the less grippy side of the track. He ended the first lap in ninth place and then overtook Coulthard to move up into eighth. On lap five Heidfeld reported a rear tyre failure.

Following his pit stop he rejoined the race at the back of the field. On lap seven – Webber was now in sixth place – he too developed a problem with his right rear tyre and spun off the track. After his tyre change he was lapped and collided with Michael Schumacher. Cue for the next pit stop. Heidfeld was now one lap behind in 14th place and Webber two laps down in 19th. On lap 21 Webber suffered another damaged right rear tyre and parked his car in the pit garage. On lap 30 the same misfortune befell Heidfeld. The tyre incidents – four in the race and one in free practice – were due to the tyre significantly deflating and touching against the bodywork which resulted in cuts to the tyre sidewall.

Italian GP.

The good placings achieved by Webber and Heidfeld in both of Friday’s free practice sessions – 2nd and 5th in the first, 5th and 6th in the second – were principally down to the improved aero efficiency of the FW27 and its curb riding ability. Despite renewed optimism, the team suffered further problems. Heidfeld, who had had an accident after a rear-wheel suspension broke during testing at Monza on 26th August, complained of a headache. On the advice of the race medics, he left the track on Saturday morning.

Test and reserve river Antonio Pizzonia stepped into the breach. He and Webber were the first two qualifiers and took 16th and 14th places on the grid. Their cars had a heavy fuel load as the team had decided on a race strategy with long first stints. Whereas Pizzonia gained two places at the start, Webber collided with Coulthard on the first corner and had to come back to the pits for a new nose cone.

Webber was subsequently trailing 52 seconds behind the leader. Before Pizzonia’s late first stop on lap 23 he was in fourth position and rejoined the race in ninth. After his second stop he had passed the two Ferraris and
claimed two points for the team by finishing seventh. After his second stop
Webber managed to beat Sato back out onto the track and went on to finish in 14th place.

Belgian GP.

The weather in Spa lived up to its appalling reputation. The first free practice session was held on a damp track while the second was a complete washout. For the third session on Saturday morning the track was damp again,
and a little less so for the fourth. By qualifying the racing line was finally dry. Webber posted the tenth-fastest lap. Pizzonia, who was standing in for Heidfeld again, came 15th. Sunday morning brought rain and chaos to the support races. The track was still wet at the start of the F1 race and the field was running on intermediates – Webber starting from ninth on the grid
because Fisichella had been moved down after an engine change.

Both BMW WilliamsF1 Team drivers lost ground off the start line. By the end of lap two Webber was in twelfth place and Pizzonia in 14th. During a safety car phase that began on lap eleven, the team kitted Webber and Pizzonia out with dry tyres. It was a mistake made by many teams which cost an extra stop to switch back to intermediates. On their third stop, the drivers took on another fresh set of intermediates.

After that Webber was in sixth position and Pizzonia in eighth. On lap 38 Webber took the risk of changing to dry-weather tyres and was subsequently the fastest driver on the track. He moved up into fourth place and took home five points. Pizzonia had come in for his tyre change a lap later, but on lap 40, while being lapped by Montoya, he collided with the Colombian, who was struggling with deteriorating intermediates. That took both drivers out of the race. Raikkonen beat the championship leader Alonso, keeping the title decision open. Heidfeld had had an accident on his bicycle in Switzerland at the weekend, which ultimately spelt the end of the season for him.

Brazilian GP.

The race at Interlagos, where the BMW WilliamsF1 Team had celebrated its sole win of the season at the 2004 final, ended in disappointment in 2005 after only a few yards. On a track that was dry despite heavy cloud cover, the two FW27 cars got caught up in a collision with Coulthard’s surging Red Bull just after the start. For Pizzonia it was curtains for his home race. Webber’s car was repaired (underbody, radiator, wheel suspension, bodywork) and returned to the race on lap 27. His engine output had been turned down to keep the power unit fresh for Suzuka, but he nevertheless achieved some very good lap times and improved his qualifying position for Japan by one place.

Webber subsequently finished in 16th place but was not classified as he had not completed the requisite distance. Webber and Pizzonia did not get beyond 14th and 15th in qualifying. It was small compensation that they moved up into eleventh and twelfth places on the grid. Alonso took pole, and a third-placed finish behind Montoya and Raikkonen was enough for the 24-year-old to enter the history books as the youngest Formula One Champion ever.

Japanese GP.

The BMW WilliamsF1 Team had undertaken two days of testing in preparation for the penultimate race of the season. The results once again included aerodynamic modifications to the FW27. While Webber was already a Suzuka fan before the race, Pizzonia was marking his debut at the track. He benefited from the fact that, from the start of free practice, a great deal of driving
was packed in as rain had been forecast for Friday afternoon. The pace of the
FW27 with a full tank and on wet tyres in practice proved impressive. The track initially dried off in time for qualifying. Pizzonia was second out and driving on intermediates, which affected the car’s balance as much as an adjusted wing setting. After spinning on his out lap, he ended with a disappointing time of 1:48.898 minutes. Webber was fourth in line and equally disappointed with the car’s handling.

With a lap time of 1:47.233 minutes, he similarly fell short of expectations. The last qualifiers, including Michael Schumacher, World Champion Alonso and the two McLaren-Mercedes drivers Raikkonen and Montoya, were robbed of any chance of a decent grid place by the sudden onset of heavy rain. Toyota driver Ralf Schumacher claimed pole position at Honda’s home circuit of Suzuka. Webber was seventh on the grid and Pizzonia twelfth. In sunny weather and temperatures of 27 degrees Celsius, a very exciting GP ensued. Pizzonia spinning off on lap ten was just one of many incidents. The progress of favourites Alonso and Raikkonen and their repeated confrontations with Michael Schumacher made for a display of the best in racing prowess. In the end, Raikkonen left the entire field in his wake to take victory.

Although Webber could not keep up with the pace, he drove a very clean race and benefited from outstanding pit stops. On lap 23 the crew got him back into the race ahead of Coulthard and after 40 laps they even managed to dispatch him faster than Button, who was refuelling at the same time. After the stop, Webber was fighting hard to keep Alonso behind him but Webber was on a qualifying engine map. As soon as Webber was asked to turn the engine down, Alonso stole position causing the Australian to just miss out on a podium place with a fourth-placed finish.

Chinese GP.

The longest season in Formula One history, with 19 Grands Prix, came to a close in the vast arena of the Shanghai International Circuit – and also marked the end of the BMW WilliamsF1 Team chapter. After promising long runs
in free practice, qualifying turned out to be disappointing for the team. Pizzonia, who was standing in for an injured Heidfeld for the fifth time, had gone out onto the track in fourth place and complained about the dirty surface. He finished a disappointing 13th. Webber, who was 17th in line, had an
outstanding run over the first two sectors before making a mistake that placed
him tenth on the grid.

Webber’s performance in the first two sectors was testimony to the aero improvements brought to the car over the whole season. The final race threatened to turn into a procession, but was livened up after two incidents brought out the safety car. The first session behind the safety car had been caused by a loose drain cover in a kerb, the second by a serious accident involving Jordan driver Karthikeyan. The team utilised both neutralisation phases for refuelling stops.

In the second half of the race Webber was stuck behind Barrichello for lap after lap. After finally getting past the Ferrari, he finished in seventh place to glean another two World Championship points. Had he not have been held up by the Brazilian, Webber would have certainly secured a much deserved podium finish for the team. Pizzonia never made it into the top ten runners and limped out of the last lap with a right rear tyre failure. He had been in 13th place and was classified in that position. With his commanding win in front of 100,000 delighted Chinese spectators, World Champion Alonso managed to bring home the Constructors’ Championship for Renault as well.