Schumacher may have been setting fastest laps, but it was Button making up ground, zoning in on Alonso at more than half a second lap and getting to within 0.4secs of the
Renault before, frustratingly, having to make his next stop. Remembering last year's Belgian GP, Button and
Honda opted against changing tyres, keeping the inters that had allowed him to carve into the Spaniard's lead and taking on just under six seconds of fuel, before rejoining in second spot, comfortably ahead of de la Rosa and Barrichello. Schumacher also made his stop at the same time and took the same tactic, but added noticeably more fuel than Button, suggesting that the Briton may have to pit once more before the end.
Despite one last dark cloud hovering menacingly over the circuit, the track continued to dry, but Button's intermediates remained among the rubber of choice, setting a new fastest lap on lap 49. One lap later, however, his team-mate came in to fit dry weather tyres, prompting much of the field to make the same move.
Alonso duly took his turn on pit-lane on lap 51 and, after a typically controlled change by the Renault crew, rejoined in second spot, seemingly well positioned to take advantage of Button's third and final stop. However, things were not well with the R26, which Alonso had trouble getting to round turn one. While many suspected tricky conditions off-line exiting the pits, the world champion knew something more was amiss and, when the car similarly failed to negotiate turn two, was forced to call it a day with the Renault buried in the tyres. First suspicions blamed finger trouble among the crew, but the Spaniard later reported a broken driveshaft.
