Schumacher joined the list of retirees on lap 44 after his
Toyota ran into suspension problems, preceding countryman Heidfeld's demise by two tours, but the rest soldiered on the flag in a race where almost every team ran into gremlins of some sort. Alonso's tyre woes prompted the McLaren team to pit the Spaniard a couple of laps ahead of schedule, and the transformation was immediate, the local hero closing on Hamilton, who had fitted the harder spec rubber a lap earlier. Massa, however, had returned between the silver machines after his second stop and, further drama aside, looked good for a second win.
With ten laps to run, Massa was eleven seconds ahead of Hamilton who, in turn, had a comfortable, if diminishing, cushion back to his team-mate that suggested another second place was a formality. Kubica was somewhere between Alonso and Coulthard, with Rosberg and Kovalainen closing on the Scot who, it turned out, had lost the use of third gear, and was having to nurse the RB3 to the flag. As with Hamilton and Alonso, however, there appeared insufficient time for the
Williams to close the gap.
Kovalainen was safe in seventh, chasing hard after Rosberg without actually making much of an impression, having had to cede position courtesy of his third stop. That wasn't as bad as team-mate Fisichella, however, whose own third call cost him a point - which was gratefully accepted by the chasing Sato, opening
Super Aguri's account in only its 21st grand prix.
Massa backed off approaching the final laps, allowing Hamilton to reduce the deficit by the flag. The result was good for both, however, as the Brazilian's victory made him the first to take two grands prix this year and moved him firmly back into the championship chase. That championship, however, is now being headed by a rookie with but four races under his belt. Hamilton broke two more records in Spain, becoming the first newcomer to make the podium in his first
four races, and stealing Bruce
McLaren's mantle as youngest outright points leader.
