Schumacher showed the delicacy of the choice, spinning at the final corner and retiring the beached
Toyota, while
Adrian Sutil ended a difficult weekend by clattering the barriers behind his fellow German, nearly taking out a camera position as he too sailed into retirement.
The tricky conditions prompted Hamilton to become more cautious, allowing Raikkonen to close right on to the tail of the Mclaren by lap 26. The Finn made a couple of attempts to take the lead, only for Hamilton to defend. The resistance was needless in the bigger championship picture, but demonstrated Hamilton's mindset, the Briton apparently determined to take the title in style. What he didn't know, however, was that his tyres were in a worse state than his rivals - a
lot worse.
His early pace had already taken its toll on his front rubber by the time of his pit-stop, the left front almost a slick, but it was the opposite corner that ultimately brought about his downfall. Having eventually ceded to Raikkonen on lap 29, the Briton quickly fell into the clutches of
Jarno Trulli, who had been in to change to the dry weather tyres. Even though the Italian ran off the road having passed the Mclaren, still Hamilton continued, his right rear now clearly showing a white furrow as the rubber delaminated.
With Raikkonen eight seconds to the good, and Hamilton running off at turn one, Mclaren appeared to give in to the inevitable, with the Briton ducking into pit lane at the end of lap 31. With less traffic having run over it, however, the pit-lane entry surface was wetter than the rest of the track and, carrying too much speed, Hamilton skated wide at the tight left turn. Almost in slow motion, the
McLaren skated into the waiting gravel trap - itself an unusual feature - and Hamilton was unable to coax it out, despite repeated attempts and a gathering crowd of marshals. Reluctantly, the Briton climbed out, his first DNF of the season coming at precisely the moment he least needed it.
