Massa finished second in the surviving Ferrari, and Mark Webber gave the Red Bull Racing team its first podium of the year with third place. The rain played a major role in the outcome of the race, and for the first time in several years the grand prix was red-flagged!
As the 22 cars lined up on the grid threatening clouds loomed over the circuit. The track temperature fell below the 30°C mark and in the air it was only 19°C. Rain was imminent.
When the lights went out Massa surged from third place and passed Alonso as the cars funnelled into the first corner emerging in second spot behind Raikkonen. Heikki too had made a good getaway and was up to fourth. The first drops of rain began to fall.
As the cars were coming up to complete their first lap the heavens opened and the majority dived pitwards to put on rain tyres except Raikkonen (Ferrari), Wurz (Williams), Trulli (Toyota), Sato (Super Aguri), Fisichella (Renault), Winkelhock (Spyker) and Kubica (BMW-Sauber). It was pouring down and Marcus Winkelhock who had started on rain tyres went into the lead! Fisichella had an off-course excursion but continued.
Raikkonen stopped at the end of lap 2 while Button went off in his Honda in Turn 1. He was not alone. Lewis Hamilton (McLaren), Adrian Sutil (Spyker), Nico Rosberg (Williams), Scott Speed (Toro Rosso) and Anthony Davidson all slid of in the same place. Just as the tractors intervened to remove the cars Liuzzi in his Toro Rosso also spun off nearly hitting one of them! Track conditions were dreadful and at the end of this very eventful lap out came the safety car. Lewis Hamilton managed to rejoin after being given a helping hand by one of the tractors! The first 8 were: Winkelhock, Massa (+33.5s), Alonso (+35.2s), Webber (+44.2s), Coulthard (+47;6s), Kovalainen (+49.6s) and Raikkonen (+55.1s). The clerk of the course decided to red-flag the race as the marshals were in a very dangerous position.
The restart was given at 14:35 behind the safety car. It did 3 laps during which Heidfeld, Trulli and Hamilton refuelled. Only the latter took the risk of putting on dry weather tyres. When the safety car pulled off Massa and Alonso shot past Winkelhock and finished their first lap (no.8 in the race) ahead of 3 Renault-powered cars: Coulthard, Webber and Kovalainen. A lap later the Red Bulls swapped places.
Raikkonen and Wurz stoppd at the end of lap 11 and shod dry tyres while Hamilton set the fastest lap of the race so far. Next time round Massa, Alonso and Webber also came in followed by Kovalainen, Fisichella, Schumacher, Kubica, Sato and Trulli. On lap 13 Coulthard and Heiefeld also changed rubber.
While Heikki gradually pulled in Wurz (0.3s between the two) Raikkonen closed the gap to Alonso. On lap 18, the Renault passed the Williams putting Kovalainen into fifth. The second placed McLaren and its pursuing Ferrari were now separated by only 1.2s. Behind, Heidfeld tried to pass Schumacher who closed the door and spun off into retirement. Heikki was really pushing and by lap 22 he was all over Mark Webber’s Red Bull but could not find a way past. The team brought him in on lap 27 and Fisichella stopped 3 laps later.
On lap 33, came the first major twist when Raikkonen’s Ferrari suddenly slowed and he retired. This allowed Webber into third position. Two laps later Alonso refuelled for the last time as did Wurz (4th) and Heidfeld (7th). Massa came in thirty-eighth time round.
When the final refuelling stops were over Heikki gained several places but Wurz managed to stay ahead of the Renault by a mere 2 seconds. Webber now had the podium in sight.
With 10 laps to go to the finish came the final twist when it began to rain again and the ING Renault Team decided to take a risk and called Kovalainen in for rain tyres. He rejoined in eighth place just in front of Fisichella who overtook him on lap 52 as the track was still too dry for wet rubber.
A lap later the rain started to pelt down. Massa and Alonso stopped and went back out in that order but the Spaniard began to up the pressure on his Brazilian rival. There were 5 laps left and they went at it hammer and tongs. When Alonso finally forced his way past the Ferrari the cars banged wheels. Fernando pulled away and there was nothing Massa could do about it.
On the last lap Lewis Hamilton passed Fisichella into ninth while Heidfeld slipped past Kubica to take sixth place. Finally, Kovalainen took the remaining point for eighth, a poor reward for a hard-charging drive
Fernando’s victory brings him to within 2 points of his team-mate in the title battle with Massa in third 11 points behind Hamilton.
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