For the BMW WilliamsF1 team the French Grand Prix was a race that the team should quickly put behind them and move onto to the next race at Silverstone. Such was the lack of pace of the FW27's that they both would finish the race lapped by the leader. Mark Webber and Nick Heidfeld would finish in twelfth and fourteenth places. Nick would make six pitstops on his way to the finish. Mark was to complain of excessive heat in the cockpit while the exact nature of Nick's problems is yet to be made clear.

On the grid the BMW WilliamsF1 drivers occupying rows six and seven, with Mark in twelfth and Nick fourteenth the drivers would move away on their parade lap for the start of the seventy lap 2005 French Grand Prix. The day was very hot compare to yesterdays cooler conditions with the temperature around 30 degrees Celsius and a track temperature of 50 degrees. After having qualifying in third Kimi Raikkonen was now down in 13th as a result of his engine change.

With Alonso on pole the cars would form up on the grid and with the red lights going off the race would get under way. Into the first corner Alonso would lead from Trulli and Michael Schumacher. Barrichello was now in fifth followed by Sato and Fisichella. Mark would lose one place to Raikkonen, now running in 12th with Nick right behind. Montoya and Button were in seventh and eighth.

After the first lap Alonso was 1.4 seconds ahead of Trulli with Michael right behind the Toyota. Lap two and Alonso would set a fastest lap with a time of 1m:17.056. Kimi was now in tenth with Mark and Nick thirteenth and fourteenth. It looked like it was going to be a difficult race for the WilliamsF1 pair. Red Bull's Christian Klien would retire with a possible gearbox problem.

Lap four and Alonso's lead was now out to 5.5 seconds. Is he on a three stop strategy? Michael was nine tenths behind Trulli in third. Alonso would set another fastest lap, a 1m:16.502. Coulthard was starting to challenge Nick for fourteenth. Alonso was lapping over a second per lap faster than second placed Trulli. Lap seven and the Renault was now 9.7 seconds ahead of the following Toyota. Michael was trying to find a way past Trulli but was not able.

In fourth was Barrichello with Sato, Fisichella, Montoya, Button, Mass and Raikkonen making up the top ten. Lap eight and Alonso's lead was now 11.3 seconds. Back in thirteenth Mark's lap times were over 2.5 seconds slower than the Renault. Both Mark and Nick were running in the 1m:19 second bracket. Lap eleven and Fernando was now 15.7 seconds ahead of Trulli. At this pace he would be able to pit without losing the lead. Sato and Massa pit on lap seventeen. Ralf Schumacher would also stop. Alonso was now 24.6 seconds ahead of Trulli. Barrichello would make his first stop from fourth. Mark and Nick were now in tenth and twelfth with Sato in between them. Trulli and Michael would pit on lap nineteen. Nick would make his first stop. Michael was able to get past Trulli in the pits as he would make a very quick stop.

The next lap would see Fisichella and Button pit from second and fourth but Alonso was still out in the lead. Mark would also pit from tenth. Neither of the McLaren's had yet to pit. But on lap twenty one Alonso would make his stop and would come back out in the lead. Montoya and Raikkonen were in second and third. Michael was fourth, Trulli fifth, Barrichello sixth, and Sato and Button making up the top eight. Coulthard would pit from ninth n lap twenty two.

Mark and Nick were now down in fourteenth and fifteenth. They were both looking at the prospect of been lapped such is their slow pace. In fourth Michael was now 28.5 seconds behind the leader after twenty three laps. Both McLaren's were pushing hard. Lap twenty four and it would bring a fastest lap to Raikkonen, a 1m:16.423. Montoya would pit from second with Kimi 10.0 seconds behind the leader. Sato was able to pass Barrichello and was now challenging Trulli for fifth.

Montoya was able to come out in third just ahead of Michael. Lap twenty seven and Kimi was now just 9.0 seconds behind the Renault. Mark and Nick were still in thirteenth and fourteenth. Kimi was pushing hard setting a fastest first sector and on lap twenty nine he would make his first stop. He was able to get out ahead of team-mate Montoya and in second place. This was a brilliant drive from the Finn having started from thirteenth.

Massa would pit from fifteenth and would park his car in his garage. Lap thirty and Alonso's lead was now 29.4 seconds ahead of Kimi with Montoya third, Michael fourth, Trulli fifth, Barrichello sixth and Button and Fisichella making up the top eight. Mark would make a second stop of lap thirty two after having on been out for eleven laps. At the front Alonso would extend his lead over Raikkonen. Sato would try and pass Trulli but it would only see him drop to ninth after a mistake on his part. Mark was in fourteenth and one lap down. This was turning out to be a terrible race for the BMW WilliamsF1 team. Mark would be complaining of excessive heat in the cockpit. Lap thirty five and Michael would it from fourth. He was joined by Sato. Now it was Nick's turn to go a lap down.

Massa would return to the track after repairs were made on his car. He was six laps down. Alonso had now lapped everyone up to tenth placed Ralf Schumacher. The Renault was just six seconds behind the Toyota. Massa would pit again while Alonso now hard the lead necessary to make his next stop without losing position to Raikkonen.

Nick would pit from eleventh, returning in thirteenth one place ahead of Mark. Lap forty and Rubens would pit from sixth. Team-mate Michael was in fourth but having made his second stop would be able to pass Montoya when the McLaren made its next stop. Both Minardi's would retire from the race. Alonso would pit on lap forty two, and would return in the lead. La forty three his lead was 14.1 seconds ahead of the McLaren. Ralf would pit from ninth.

Montoya would start to slow with his lap times three seconds slower than Kimi's. Lap forty six and Trulli would pit from fifth. The next lap and Button would pit from fifth while Trulli was now in eighth. Montoya's lap times were now over 1m:30 seconds, allowing Michael to pass him. On lap forty eight Juan Pablo would stop out on the track and retire. Michael was now in third with Villeneuve fourth.

Nick would pit from twelfth, while at the front Alonso was now 14.2 seconds ahead of second placed Raikkonen. Lap fifty and Jacques would pit from fourth. n lap fifty one Nick would make his fourth stop of the race. Michael would pit from third coming out ahead of Fisichella in fourth. Mark would make a further stop on lap fifty four. Kimi would stop on lap fifty six, joined by Barrichello. Everyone up to fourth had been palled such as Alonso's pace.

The order was Alonso, Raikkonen, Michael Schumacher, Fisichella, Button, Trulli, Ralf Schumacher and Villeneuve. Mark was in twelfth and Nick fourteenth. This was really a race that the WilliamsF1 team should forget and move on from. Lap fifty seven and Alonso's lead was now 34.4 seconds. Michael in third was 41.6 seconds behind the second placed McLaren.
Alonso would pit on lap fifty nine, 5.4 seconds, and would come out in the lead and with a 18.3 second lead . Fisichella would pit from fourth, stalling as he attempted to leave. Nick would make another stop. Michael was lapping considerably slower than second placed Raikkonen, four seconds slower. Button was closing in on to the Ferrari. Michael was now 47.9 seconds behind Kimi with Jenson 13.2 seconds further back. Michael was now looking comfortable in third.

Kimi was running faster than Alonso but it would not be enough to close the gap before the end of the race. But such was Alonso's pace that he was looking to lap third placed Michael. Mark and Nick were still in their disappointing twelfth and fourteenth positions, with Mark two laps down and Nick four laps down. With five laps remaining Alonso's lead was now 17.1 seconds. There must be an explanation for both FW27's poor pace.

The Renault was now just six seconds behind the third placed Ferrari. Two laps remaining and Fernando was leading comfortably on his way to victory in Renault's home Grand Prix. In second was Raikkonen with the remaining top eight been Michael Schumacher, Button, Trulli, Fisichella, Ralf Schumacher, and Villeneuve.