Ekstrom and Paffett began their battle almost as soon as the safety car had withdrawn, the Swede flicking on his lights as he attempted to muscle past into the hairpin on lap seven. Paffett, however, was in no mood to cede his advantage, getting back alongside the Audi on the run down to the Mercedes complex and holding position. The leading trio then proceeded to pit, and all Paffett's efforts proved to be in vain as the Audi crew turned his rival around in shorter order.
Worse was to come for the Briton, however, as it quickly became apparent that his driver-side door had been damaged in the contact with Ekstrom, and was now flapping open on right-handers.
With Alesi getting ahead of Green on the same lap, the Frenchman was now the nominal leader, and he continued to run out front while those behind him took turns to stop for the first of two mandatory tyre changes. Green pitted from second on lap ten, allowing multiple champion Schneider to slot in behind Alesi, but the German's race was not to be easy either, as a jump-start penalty saw him making the first of three pit visits a lap later.
Alesi finally pitted for the first time on lap 15, but the advantage he had built up in the early stages was good enough for him to slot back in only a couple of places adrift of the new leader - Schneider.... A second stop on lap 21, immediately after the German had made his second call, reinstated the Frenchman at the head of the field and, with both his required stops now banked, he was able to cruise to the chequered flag.
Behind the AMG-branded Mercedes, however, things were far from settled. With Schneider having made a second pit-stop, Hakkinen appeared to be the best placed two-stopper until Alesi rejoined at the front of the field, but the Finn was also to make a third stop, a startline penalty having caught many observers unaware.
