That brought out the safety car once more to clear up the damage and debris scattered across the circuit from the collision, with Kubica,
Timo Glock, Nakajima and Alonso – the latter perilously close to running out of fuel as the drivers waited for the pit-lane to open – all taking the opportunity to pit.
Interestingly, however, one driver who did not was the increasingly menacing Raikkonen, who had benefited greatly from the two safety car periods and was now up into third place – right in the McLarens' rear view mirrors. Against all odds, all three drivers were now effectively on the same strategy and separated by just a hair's breadth on the track.
Indeed, as Hamilton scampered away once more as the safety car returned to the pits, Raikkonen was all over the back of compatriot Kovalainen, and after an attack into turn one was swiftly rebuffed he tried again down the inside into turn three. Though this time the
Ferrari did indeed succeed in darting past the
McLaren, it darted past rather too quickly for the liking of its brakes, with Raikkonen skating straight on into the gravel trap and coming perilously close to clouting the barriers.
Whilst he was able to rejoin the fray – albeit now somewhat war-wounded – team-mate Massa wasn't so fortunate, pulling off and into retirement at the side of the track, ironically at turn three, scene of his earlier indiscretion with Coulthard. To fill the
Scuderia's cup of woe to overflowing, when Raikkonen rejoined from his enforced pit-stop, he lay a full 22 seconds behind anyone else, and with it all to do over again.
Piquet became the next victim as his
Renault rolled to a halt out on-track – leaving just eleven cars still in the mix with 26 laps remaining – but there was better news for the French outfit as Alonso piled the pressure on Kubica up in seventh position, the Pole having dropped a staggering four seconds off the pace with tyre graining woes.
