Suzuka is widely-regarded as one of the most challenging and exciting circuits in the world and it fittingly hosted one of the best Grand Prix ever back in 2005. The championship had been decided at the previous round in Brazil but that didn’t deter any of the 20-strong grid from giving it their all around 53 laps of Japan’s premier track.

A wet qualifying mixed up the grid ahead of the start which meant we had Ralf Schumacher’s Toyota on pole, both Red Bull’s in the top six, Michael Schumacher down in 14th, world champion Fernando Alonso in 16th and the McLarens down in 17th and 18th.

Ralf Schumacher had a good start and maintained the lead going into Turn 1 but the home crowd were surely disappointed to see Takuma Sato’s Honda go wide into the gravel. Ferrari’s Rubens Barrichello joined him, getting a puncture as a result.

Meanwhile, the likes of Alonso and Michael Schumacher were slashing their way through the field but Juan Pablo Montoya overstepped the boundaries and smashed his McLaren into the wall on the exit of the chicane. He retired and subsequently brought out the Safety Car for a few laps.

The racing resumed on Lap 7 but somewhat surprisingly, Ralf Schumacher pitted on just Lap 12 to hand the lead to Giancarlo Fisichella’s Renault. After several failed attempts, Alonso had passed Christian Klien’s Red Bull and was now into sixth place, behind Michael Schumacher.

Alonso was clearly faster but the seven-time world champion was placing his Ferrari perfectly to defend from the Spaniard. However, even the most prolific champion in F1 history could do nothing about what came next. On Lap 19 Alonso got a fantastic run out of Spoon corner, picked up the slipstream and swooped around the outside of the 130R.

With 25 laps remaining, the podium places were occupied by Giancarlo Fisichella, Jenson Button’s Honda in second and Mark Webber’s Williams in third. A few laps later, on Lap 29, Kimi Raikkonen had finally cleared Schumacher’s Ferrari and flew off into the distance.

Alonso went into the pits on Lap 36 for his final fuel stop with teammate Fisichella pitting a lap later, re-joining the race behind the trio of Button, Webber and Raikkonen and looked certain for his first win since the opening round of the season.

On Lap 40 of 53 both Button and Webber came in to pit which unleashed Raikkonen and allowed him to tear up the track. Before pitting with 9 laps to go, Raikkonen set a 1:31.540 which remains the lap record at Suzuka to this day.

He was a man on a mission and Fisichella was unable to respond to the Finn’s blistering pace, the Italian’s 20-second lead had been evapourated. Meanwhile, in the battle for third, Alonso had a great run on Webber down the pit straight and despite being closed off on the inside he sent his Renault diving into Turn 1. Even with his right front tyre on the grass the Spaniard made it stick.

Three laps to go and Raikkonen was now right behind Fisichella, a grandstand finish was now on the cards. Catching is one thing but passing is another, however the rate at which he had caught the Renault gave Raikkonen a real chance of the win. The Italian was driving defensively and this ultimately cost him on the last lap when Raikkonen got a much better exit out of the chicane and flew around the outside.

Raikkonen went on to win despite starting in 17^th place. Fisichella was left red-faced after throwing away a race that he really should’ve won comfortably and Alonso completed the podium in what many believe is the best dry race in Formula 1 history. It was the certainly the perfect fairwell to the V10 era.