Alonso should have been classified in sixth spot, but a late wheel bearing failure on Schumacher's
Toyota sent the German to the garage with just eleven laps to run, allowing the
Renault man to claw back one point in his damage limitation exercise.
Schumacher's demise also promoted the battle between Liuzzi and Rosberg to one for the final point. The scrap had raged from the early stages and initially included Coulthard's
Red Bull, which was harried mercilessly through the middle of the race by the supposedly inferior Toro Rosso.
Rosberg was ahead of the pair approaching their single pit-stops, emerging in ninth place, between DC and Liuzzi, who had been the first to stop. DC was in a handful of laps later, the RBR crew turning him around quickly enough to set up a race to pit-exit as the
Williams came down the home straight. Coulthard held his nerve as the two cars appeared certain to come together in the braking zone for turn one, and had enough experience to keep his nose ahead into turn two.
Liuzzi also had to brave it out with the young German, diving to the inside of his Williams into the same corner on lap 57, Rosberg's wild swerve to the outside line proving fruitless in response. When Ralf pulled off six laps later, the Italian's move took on more serious meaning, giving Toro Rosso its maiden point in
F1.
