Barrichello was the first to stop, but the real attention focused on the relative fuel loads of both Ferrari and
Renault, and whether the Scuderia would use the power of the pit-stop to switch its two drivers. Schumacher was in first, the team turning him around in 8.2secs, while Massa followed a lap later, the pit-stop taking three-tenths less time - but the Brazilian still emerging behind his team-mate. It later transpired that Massa's in-lap had been anything up to two seconds slower than his average to that point, but there was no obvious error...
Once out in front, Schumacher was able to extend a gap back to the second
Ferrari, and maintain a cushion between them, leaving the main focus of attention on the battle for third. Fisichella may have been the man in possession, but the Italian's position was far from secure, with Alonso, Barrichello and the two Toyotas all looking possible candidates for the final podium spot.
Alonso, however, appeared the least likely to steal third from his team-mate, who had been clearly the faster Renault all weekend. The Spaniard was reporting oversteer on his R26 as grip proved to be a problem, the Michelin tyres not able to live up to the performance of its
Bridgestone opposition. As a result, the points leader was falling into the clutches of
Ralf Schumacher and, latterly, Trulli, whose one-stop strategy had moved him into a strong position.
Benefiting from the pace car period, Trulli was in the thick of the action from the restart, and used his strategy to move into the top eight early on. Barrichello was the first to fall, running short and two stopping. Trulli's race plan also took him ahead of team-mate Schumacher, but the prize scalp was that of Alonso, who finally fell behind the
Toyota when he made his second stop on lap 55. Traffic in the form of the battle between Rosberg and Liuzzi may have slowed the Renault slightly, but it was unlikely to have made a big enough difference to alter the result.
