Back in the pack, it continued to be 'no holds barred', with battles being fought out up and down the field. Super Nova took over the mantle previously held by Trident as team-mates Luca Filippi and Conway made contact, fortunately without repercussions, while the recovering Maldonado proved a little 'over-eager' as he punted Ho-Pin Tung off at the chicane. The Chinese driver retired to the pits with his steering awry, but Maldonado continued - only to crash out all on his on the final lap!
Bakkerud's injury really became a problem from half-distance, the DPR machine missing apexes and braking points as the pain took hold again. From being a stopper in the bottle, the Dane quickly slipped back through the order - ceding positions to Antonio Pizzonia, Pantano, Hirate, Conway and Maldonado in rapid succession - before wisely calling it a day.
Pantano, meanwhile, was the man on the move, and made short work of closing in on the train being headed by Campos team-mate Petrov. The Russian had been chasing countryman Aleshin for the final point, but the train suddenly took on greater significance when the ART stand-in spun exiting the chicane. Petrov assumed sixth spot, but clearly did not have the pace to pull away from his pursuers, which initially numbered only Nakajima, but quickly added Pizzonia and Pantano.
The Italian disposed of his former
F1 rival with little problem, but found Nakajima a bigger hurdle - until the final lap. With the flag in sight, Pantano followed the Japanese driver past a slower car, before swooping out from the slipstream and edging him to the line.
