KIMI'S CHARGE! The Story of the 2005 Japanese Grand Prix

[@AidanMillward]

Time should say 2:44. Not 1:44. Gaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhnngggggggh

[@jackvickers7805]

Hi Aidan. Who do you think will win the BTCC tittle?

[@greyone40]

I think we all saw it. Still you tell such a good story so who cares?

[@jerryweirdspeed]

Sod it. I was about to scream "Typo alert!" all over the comments section. It's appalling to see that you actually see your mistakes yourself. Why are you so bloody near perfect? And yeah, @Jack Vickers , it's gotten difficult to follow the BTCC from abroad but it's still manageable. So looking forward to the finale!

[@SteveDull]

So aggregate should be 1:22.109 - being that man....

[@michaelsanger8327]

not your biggest mistake in this video.

[@phsycresconquest6636]

Raikkonen only getting one title is kinda sad as he was brilliantly quick. He also absolutely put the hammer down at Monaco the one year, and the in another similarly iconic moment he went “Screw this I’m off to my boat”

[@princeendymion9044]

He only really lost the 2003 title right at the very end, and part of that came down to the rule changes that screwed over Michelin after Hungary. 2005 was more of a car problem and nothing Raikkonen could really control; the car was a glass cannon, insanely fast but unreliable, and the tyre rules that caused his crash at the Nürburgring didn't help.

[@AndyFromBeaverton]

@@princeendymion9044 Having 1 win to MSC's 6 plus 3 retirements to MSC's 1 didn't help. The way Michelin designed their tires was not in the spirit of the regulations. Bridgestone could have redesigned their tires to have a much larger contact patch after only a few laps or protest. Michelin would have done the same if roles were reversed.

[@Sticktothemodels]

Shouldve won in 03.

[@Ramtamtama]

At least he got a title.

[@kfoalbfkdkd5302]

Kimi 2005 was the fastest driver EVER

[@SamuelSantos_]

Prime Kimi was an absolute monster

[@RANDOMZBOSSMAN1]

One of the fastest drivers ever in the history of F1

[@MrSniperfox29]

The funny thing about the qualifying system was if a car retired in the pits early in the race, the team would try to fix it and send him back out in the hopes of picking up any positions from other retirements and thus get a slightly better qualifying spot in the next race.

[@that.guy11]

If 2005 was peak Kimi, the Japanese Grand Prix was peak peak Kimi. Nobody else was ever going to win that day.

[@callumcjham4478]

Japan 2005 had littirally everything, what a race.

[@magikjoe3789]

I was always in awe of Kimi since seeing him racing Formula Renault about a thousand years ago at Donington Park. It honestly looked like he was in a F3000 car compared to the rest of the field, he just drove away.

[@kevinprior3549]

Pains me to say it cos I cannot stand him but Alonso's move on Michael round the outside of 130R was awesome.

[@XA-lm5oz]

Awesome video with context to explain things to those who weren't around in this era. Thank you!

[@aojracing4885]

Great video once again. Really hoping you cover the upcoming BTCC finale in some regard, an incredible championship fight that deserves way more attention!

[@RANDOMZBOSSMAN1]

6:02 IIRC it was reprofiled for 2003 not 05 due to McNish crash Unfortunately the first major event they had Kato was killed in a crash there at the 2003 Japanese motorcycle GP when he lost control of his bike there and crashed into the barriers near the chicane

[@AidanMillward]

Track map said 05-present with that change so I just went with that. 😅

[@jdmpurest]

This was a good one! Thank you good Sir!

[@ianwynne764]

Hello Aidan: I always find these very interesting.

[@zedfender9423]

I remember seeing him sat in his rally car in Cardiff door open helmet off sweating. I was about 10m away with my son if that. I was like check it out is kimi raikonnen. Legend

[@tadroid3858]

Great story! Made me watch the race. Thanks.

[@kevinprior3549]

Could you cover the story of when Kimi went off at Nurburgring with under a lap to go in 2005? It's when his right front wheel was wobbling and came off?

[@Ramtamtama]

I think he flat-spotted it on lap 2 or something. If he had fillings at the start of the race, he didn't have them by lap 50. The tyre, in effect, shook the suspension to pieces. It was the stupid "one set of tyres and that's your lot" rule.

[@abhishekroy7516]

Left front. He could've pitted and settled for 3rd, but that's not how Kimi (or Ron Dennis) did things.

[@FlatMetal22]

@@abhishekroy7516 no tyre change was an implemented rule. it got changed a few races after this race that they would allow pit stops for damaged tyres...surprisingly

[@christiansimmons630]

@@abhishekroy7516 if he pitted he more than likely would’ve got a penalty as the rules didn’t allow a damaged tyre to be changed (only blatant punctures)- this was changed after the race to allow flat spotted and damaged tyres to be changed

[@terminateshere]

Probably the greatest F1 race to be held as a 'dead rubber' (i.e. title already decided), though Interlagos 2019 and Sakhir 2020 are up there for me too.

[@ramiabouchakra2726]

For the algorithm!

[@cyancut21]

You‘re a man of honor

[@BOABModels]

Albers the 5th Musketeer! 😅 Love it.

[@reptongeek]

As much as this race is lauded as Kimi's finest win and it is, a little part of me is sad for Giancarlo Fisichella that he couldn't hold on and take the win. He only scored three wins total and this race could have made it four

[@Jejking]

Butt... He just wasn't fast enough, lucked into the lead because of the weather. In dry he wouldn't have stood a chance.

[@joela6542]

The 2005 Mclaren was such a good looking car

[@sanfordcurtis8242]

Flaky as hell tho

[@kdm6287]

Great video, a time when the cars looked and sounded great.

[@christiansimmons630]

He didn’t overtake with 3 laps left - he did it on the last lap after forcing fisichella to go very defensive into the final chicane

[@danielalonso6223]

Possibly my all-time favourite Grand Prix. There was something happening throughout the field at all times. Had Fisichella not twice defended thin air, we’d have been deprived of the most satisfying of endings.

[@alvinnieves590]

This race was proper beast mode Kimi. I can imagine the pre race briefing: Team: ok Kimi we start way back, so this is our strategy. Kimi: just leave me alone I know what to do.

[@TomMannington]

The MP4/20 is for me one of the greatest looking F1 cars. Sensible proportions with wonderful flowing surfaces before they became festooned with more horns & winglets towards the 2009 changes.

[@bengym21_]

Still one of the best races I’ve ever seen, the joy watching Kimi pass Fisichella on the last lap to win, just epic

[@minibus9]

great video. I've crashed on PlayStation before trying to do this overtake

[@android1617]

Great drivers fighting at Suzuka is one of the greatest things in F1

[@foxy126pl6]

Fun fact, the biggest algorithm boost is simply waching a vid till the end

[@SirGingerOfKnight]

3:09 Marvellous

[@johnjones928]

Renault changed the gearing on Fizzy's car to give him a better launch at the start, but it left him vulnerable on the straights. You could hear his car bouncing off the limiter as Kimi swept past into the lead.

[@abhishekroy7516]

I've been watching F1 for 25 years now and this remains one of the most impressive back of the field charges I can think of. The car wasn't massively rapid (like LH in Brazil '21). Kimi just kept it clean, made important passes, and was insanely rapid!

[@FlatMetal22]

back then the DNF rate was a fair bit higher which helped, but at least there wasn't cars diving out of the way for him. monumental drive

[@CrunchyMotorsport]

Please redo the Singapore 2008 race with crashgate for the race this weekend

[@ianriggers]

I Remember watching the rerun of the 2005 Kimi was on fire that day wasn't happy with Fisichella losing a certain win coming from a Renault fan!

[@jadesmith6823]

When you live in Australia and I get you Allen Millard and his crazy OCD habitat of two wheels of English engineering... Nek minute..... Baby English Yoda 🇦🇺🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@crystalracing4794]

Peak Kimi was everything I wanted in a racing driver

[@sayharris1361]

I would still like to see F1 run twice a year in Japan once at Fuji even though the traffic situation is a nightmare getting there, and once at Suzuka because the hairpin turn there is truly one of my favorite places to shoot from.

[@mr.doctorprofessor9953]

The greatest drive

[@sayharris1361]

Nice one 🙏🏽😜

[@CrunchyMotorsport]

1:33 Aidans discalclia strikes once more. Its 2.44.118 not 1.44.118

[@kben24]

I remember watching this race at 3am in the morning: First lap = Montoya crashes… zzzzzzzz, literally falls asleep. Final lap = Raikkonen passes Fisichella… "Holy crap!!" Then immediately back to sleeping…

[@jacekatalakis8316]

Fisi is underrated 2003 Brazil, case in point. Fisi was great that day

[@senorsoupe]

He also got a lot of podiums in decidedly mediocre Benetton cars.

[@AidanMillward]

Got pole in a Force India too.

[@senorsoupe]

@@AidanMillward Oh yah, he was absolutely mega that weekend for Force India with a superb podium. It got him the cursed Ferrari ride

[@danielalonso6223]

Fisi was one of those enigmas who outperformed expectations when in an average but underwhelmed in a winning one, sort of like a prototype of Sergio Perez.

[@senorsoupe]

@@danielalonso6223 I remember being so excited when he won the first race of the season in 2005 , his first race back at Renault . I thought that would be the start of a title challenge but it just wasn't to be.

[@lefturn99]

Inverted starts forever!

[@gandalf_thegrey]

The title of the video was too long for the inbox of my yt app But the title "KIMIS CHARGE, the story of th-" 2as enough for me to know it's Japan. A performance for the ages.

[@F-Man]

MP4/20 😍😍

[@ericb3593]

the 130R was reprofiled before 2003 race, not 2005. Also, Raikkonen overtook Fisichella when they started the final lap of the race, not with 3 laps to go

[@ameno21]

at 01:35 Time added in example why it says 1.44 when should say 2.44. Mistake on your part or they did counted time in some stupid way???

[@AidanMillward]

Should be 2:44

[@EyelessSnowy]

Jenson Button 2011 Canadian Gp would be a interesting story

[@greyone40]

I always liked Giancarlo. He even got to drive that Jordan with some of the best liveries ever. It was unfortunate what happened when he drove for Ferrari. He just didn't get a proper chance to get used to the car, and so never put in the performance that he would be capable of.

[@hugolouessard3914]

Räikkönen is kind of a unique case. From 2003 to 2007 he was as quick as anyone ever. His speed was unmatched, I still think he was faster in raw speed than Michael, Alonso, or anyone on the grid. He was very unlucky to not be champion in 2003 and 2005. Even in 2007, he was champion while having more retirements than Alonso and Hamilton. 2008 is a weird season. He started great, but for some reason it seems that Ferrari developped the car towards Massa's liking just as Kimi had a series of bad luck races, starting in Canada when Hamilton slammed into his rear. And then he was slower than Massa and Hamilton. So I'd say Kimi's peak is 2003-2007, and he was THE fastest. But then, after his comeback, he was obviously still quick, but not the quickest. It is a big weird I think to see a driver lose speed so young. Or maybe the Ferrari never suited his race style.

[@bwoahh1222]

In 2002-2006 the only thing stopping kimi from winning every race was McLaren

[@marcuslindegran5443]

😊

[@warrenphillips69]

You know what doesn't improve the show? Rainbow flags, kneeling & race guilt trips etc etc.

[@FlatMetal22]

He's probably the most unlucky driver in recent F1 history. Could and should have won titles in 03 and 05 really. Literally screwed by reliability only.

[@titm81]

You spelt Tiago wrong

[@AidanMillward]

To be expected from an English man tbh.

[@Skreezilla]

pffft the Australian Grand prix was the title decider.......... *yells at cloud*