Ups and downs for the Grove-based squad
The BMW WilliamsF1 Team had set itself ambitious goals for the 2005 FIA Formula One World Championship season, but soon it became obvious that its fellow competitors had made bigger steps forward in the off-season.
Mark Webber, Nick Heidfeld and Antonio Pizzonia had no real chance of becoming a factor in the battles for the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships.
Nevertheless, the team succeeded in adding some highlights to its season. At the Nürburgring, Nick secured the maiden pole position of his Formula One career and finished runner-up. The German took three podium finishes, with Mark making it to the podium once.
In Monaco, he shared the podium with his second-placed team-mate, thus making for the BMW WilliamsF1 Team’s best result in the event which represents the highlight of the Formula One season.
An injury forced Nick to miss the five final rounds of the season, and he was replaced by the team’s test and reserve driver, Antonio Pizzonia. The Brazilian scored two championship points but suffered a dose of bad luck. Several times, collisions in the opening stages put an early end to his races.
At the end of the season, Nick scored 28 points while Mark had 36 points to his tally. In the Constructors’ Championship, the BMW WilliamsF1 Team scored a total of 66 points to finish fifth.


Tags: williams.team, webber, heidfeld, balance,