The 2019 Japanese Grand Prix is currently on pause, with all Saturday track action canceled due to Typhoon Hagibis. That means there’s no Formula One Action on TV, but there’s a silver lining: F1 just used it as an excuse to live stream the 2005 Japanese Grand Prix, one of the most exciting races ever.
For those that complain that F1 is boring or predictable, this is your race. It’s exciting from moment one to the very last lap, with heroic on-track action and some insane driving. We highly recommend watching it here:
Not that we can “spoil” a 14-year-old event, but if you want to be surprised by the video stop reading here.
Because the big story is Kimi Raikkonen, in his McLaren-Mercedes, just obliterating the field in his climb from 17th to 1st. Not only does he spend the entire race dispatching foes, but he’s still locked in a battle on the second-to-last lap.
He spends that whole lap hanging just off the bumper of Giancarlo Fisichella’s Renault, clearly with the pace to pass but being aggressively beaten back by the Italian. Despite Fisichella’s best efforts, though, Kimi goes in for the kill on the last lap and secures a first-place finish.
Fernando Alonso also shone through in this race. Like Kimi, Alonso had a tough break during qualifying and had to start near the back of the field. But with some incredible driving and a seriously quick car, he was able to fight his way past third to fall in just behind his fellow Renault.
It was a truly incredible race, one that forces you to recognize why someone like Raikkonen has had such staying power in this sport. Without a car that can keep pace, though, we’re not expecting this kind of performance from Raikkonen on Sunday.
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