That was lap 35, just short of half-distance, and, while Alonso was coming under pressure, his title rival was still clawing his way back up the order. One lap later, Schumacher passed Heidfeld for eighth, and took only four more to catch and pass the second
BMW of Kubica. Again, however, the
Ferrari twitched, causing many to catch their breath fearing a second puncture, but the moment was merely a case of Schumi pushing a little too hard and, having had to cede the place back to his Polish opponent, made short work of claiming it back on lap 41.
The chase was halted briefly by Schumacher's final pit-stop on lap 48 but, having crucially emerged ahead of de la Rosa - who had earlier gathered quite a train in his wake - the German set about claiming more victims. His first flying lap out of the pits established a new fastest lap, some half second under Massa's best to that point, and he was soon past Barrichello for sixth.
Massa, meanwhile, was some 27secs to the good on Alonso as the second round of pit-stops began and, as the pair traded almost identical times while being serviced, the race to the flag resumed with little difference being made to the gap. The Spaniard, however, was being kept honest by Button, and responded in the closing stages to avoid an embarrassing tangle that could have let Schumacher through to an unlikely crown.
The Ferrari man - who would undoubtedly have benefited from a Massa 'problem' should he have found himself in second spot - was doing all he could to put himself in position to reap from any fall-out, catching and passing early nemesis Fisichella on lap 63, despite another bobble a couple of laps earlier that had given the Italian unexpected breathing space. Schumacher's pressure eventually proved too much for the
Renault man, however, Fisichella out-braking himself into turn one and taking to the grass, allowing Schumacher free passage into fifth.
