Eventually, the situation became so bad that Renault decided to allow the Italian to take the lead for himself - having previously swapped positions with Alonso merely to keep the prowling Schumacher at bay. Once ahead of the Spaniard, Fisichella was able to pull away, now the man most likely to win the race, but Alonso was left to defend himself with no weapons in the armoury. When the Renault ran wide in turn two, Schumacher was quick to pounce, and was gifted immediate respite when Alonso's retaliation merely saw him slip further behind.
Fisichella's escape saw him quickly clock up the first 1min 41secs lap of the race convincing those on pit-wall that the time had arrived to try the move to 'slicks'.
BMW Sauber had already experimented with the switch some eight laps earlier, but
Robert Kubica's hapless performance on an out-lap that included two leery offs, was enough to discourage other foolhardy souls.
Nico Rosberg was the guinea pig second time around, but almost immediately started to set personal best times, prompting a flurry of activity beneath SIC's statuesque architecture. Button, Webber and Massa followed the young German in on the next lap but, when Alonso followed suit on lap 35, his race was undone for good, as a sticking right rear wheelnut cost him almost 20 additional seconds and left him with a mountain to climb if he was to overhaul Schumacher.
Even though Schumacher and Fisichella pitted a couple of laps apart,
Renault's cause was hampered further when the Italian took a cautious approach to his out-lap. With his tyres already up to temperature after a tour of the SIC, Schumacher was already bearing down on Fisichella as the Renault exited the pits, and was ideally placed to take advantage when it ran wide in turn one. Fisichella caught the moment, almost turning back into Schumacher - who wisely took to the kerbs in avoidance - but the die was cast.
