If
Lewis Hamilton's maiden
Formula One victory resembled a stroll in the park - albeit one interrupted by safety cars periods - his second shown composure under a different kind of pressure as
McLaren team-mate
Fernando Alonso harried him to the flag at Indianapolis.
Despite the Spaniard suggesting that he would not be averse to making the sort of first corner lunge that has backfired on him twice already this season, Hamilton was allowed relatively clear passage into the opening right-left combination as Alonso tucked in behind the poleman, reckoning his start not quite good enough to warrant an assault.
Felipe Massa duly slotted in behind the two McLarens from third on the grid, but
Ferrari team-mate
Kimi Raikkonen again lost out after a tardy start, the Finn's decision to take the harder
Bridgestone tyres to the grid suffering an immediate setback as he dropped behind not only
Nick Heidfeld, but also
Heikki Kovalainen.
Heidfeld's
BMW team-mate
Sebastian Vettel showed his lack of experience at the first corner, the debutant spearing across the grass as he carried too much speed to the turn, but that was minor compared to what was going on in his mirrors.
David Coulthard and
Ralf Schumacher were always expected to be close off the line, having qualified together on row six, but neither would have expected the fast-starting
Rubens Barrichello to appear between them as they prepared to turn in.
Caught in a pincer movement, the Brazilian appeared to tag Schumacher's left rear wheel, turning the luckless German into Coulthard, ending his race on the spot with frontal damage to the
Toyota. DC and Barrichello both made it back to the pits for assessment before being told that their races were also over.
