United States Grand Prix 2005 - Race Schedule and Countdown

The United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis descended into one of the darkest and most farcical moments in Formula 1 history, as only six cars started the race after all fourteen Michelin-equipped teams withdrew on safety grounds following tire failures during practice and warm-up. Michael Schumacher won ahead of Rubens Barrichello and Tiago Monteiro in a race that became a public relations disaster, with angry fans booing as the three Bridgestone teams - Ferrari, Jordan, and Minardi - circulated alone in what amounted to a non-competition that severely damaged F1's reputation in the crucial American market.

The controversy erupted when Ralf Schumacher crashed heavily on Friday practice due to a tire failure on the banked Turn 13, raising serious safety concerns about Michelin's tires. Despite frantic overnight efforts, Michelin declared on race day that their tires were unsafe for racing on the banking and could not guarantee driver safety. The seven Michelin teams - Renault, McLaren, Williams, Toyota, BAR, Red Bull, and Sauber - withdrew after the parade lap, leaving only the six Bridgestone-shod cars of Ferrari, Jordan, and Minardi to start the race. The spectacle of watching just six cars circulate was met with fury from the 100,000+ fans in attendance, many of whom had paid significant sums and traveled long distances. Debris was thrown onto the track, and the booing was deafening.

Schumacher and Barrichello cruised to a Ferrari one-two finish, setting fastest lap, but the victory felt utterly hollow and meaningless. Monteiro secured an unlikely podium for Jordan - the Portuguese driver's only career F1 podium - in what would have been a remarkable achievement under normal circumstances but was rendered irrelevant by the farcical nature of the race. The political fallout was immense, with Michelin, the FIA, the teams, and race organizers all trading blame. The incident accelerated the end of tire competition in F1, with a single-supplier rule introduced from 2007. More significantly, the Indianapolis debacle contributed to the eventual loss of the United States Grand Prix from the calendar after 2007, dealing a severe blow to F1's ambitions in America. For championship leader Fernando Alonso, who had started from second on the grid, it was a devastating blow - denied the chance to score points through no fault of his own in one of the season's most important races.