The 2005 Japanese Grand Prix was the eighteenth and penultimate race of the 2005 Formula One Season. After the track was subject to heavy rain, the familiar faces found themselves down the order, while Ralf Schumacher scored an unlikely pole.
But by Sunday, the weather was warm, sunny, a nice fast track- a good track for the McLarens to excel but by the end of lap one indeed McLaren had hit trouble, with Juan Pablo Montoya retired and Räikkönen moving through the order, but slowly. Meanwhile, Alonso came from 16th to 10th in one lap.
Well behind Fisichella, Alonso and Räikkönen were charging through the field at a tremendous rate, but they were well down on Fisichella, so they were surely never going to be a threat.
But, by the end of the race, the stunning pace of Alonso and Räikkönen had become too much. Alonso moved up from a 16th position grid slot to third. On the last lap, Räikkönen pulled an impressive overtaking move on Fisichella on the main straight into the first corner, and came from 17th on the grid to take a memorable win.