Honda’s hopes of getting at least one of their cars home in the points for the first time in 2007 came undone when they were both forced to pit again to change onto the soft tyres as per the 2007 regulations, dropping Barrichello and Button back to respectively tenth and eleventh places at the chequered flag, so near but yet agonisingly so far. Their misfortune, however, allowed the subdued Raikkonen up into the points, and with 14 laps to go the Finn began to close dramatically on Wurz ahead of him in seventh.
There was some late-race drama for Kubica too, as he began to drop three seconds a lap to team-mate Heidfeld behind him, prompting the BMW-Sauber mechanics to come out into the pit-lane in readiness for an unscheduled stop. Fortunately for the Pole, whatever problem it was seemed to clear itself up again and he was able to regain his speed and maintain his position.
There was a delay on Massa’s second pit-stop, though he had enough in hand over the charging Fisichella to be able to comfortably preserve his third place, but all eyes were on the duel up front, as an inspired Hamilton inexorably reduced the gap to Alonso to nothing in a matter of minutes.
Although the McLarens reined in their pace over the closing laps and Hamilton backed off, even in coasting to the finish they were still a massive three seconds a lap faster than anyone else on the race track, and at the chequered flag they had put a lap on all but Massa’s
Ferrari. Another four or five laps and they would likely have lapped the Brazilian too.
