Trulli leaves a trail of smoke leaving the dummy grid for the parade lap.
For the main race start, all but Davidson leave the grid, with Heidfeld and Hamilton jumping Alonso into the first corner. Anthony Davidson did eventually pull away, only to trip over the Spyker of Sutil a lap later.
Massa makes progress through the pack from dead last, held up eventually by the Hondas of Button and Barrichello. Barrichello in his frustration to pass his team-mate, kisses the wall at turn 10, at around 170mph, but continues unaffected. Meanwhile Hamilton goes airborne as he runs wide across the curbs.
Ten laps in and Raikkonen leads by eight seconds, setting fastest lap, after fastest lap. The train of cars behind Button is already 43 seconds behind. Albers crashes in his Spyker at turn 3.
Heidfeld is the first in the pits on lap 14, promoting Hamilton to 2nd. Elsewhere Barrichello finally passes Button. Heidfeld rejoins in seventh. Ferrari out on lap 18, but Raikkonen continues through without pitting. Lap 19 he finally pits, but Hamilton goes faster as he takes the lead of the Grand Prix. Kimi rejoins in 4th 6.5 seconds behind the new race leader.
Fisichella pits for Renault on lap 20 from fifth and fights off Trulli for 8th as he emerges. McLaren out for Alonso on lap 22, showing Hamilton had more fuel during qualifying. Hamilton pits a lap later, and retains track position in 2nd.
Sutil receives a drive through penalty on lap 24 for blocking Hamilton at turn 9 prior to his pit stop.
On lap 29, Hamilton loses time to Alonso with another small mistake at turn 14. Massa pits and Button receives a drive through penalty for speeding in the pit lane. Lap 32 and Scott Speed crashes out and Button serves his stop go penalty. Kimi leads by 17 seconds; Hamilton leads Alonso by 2 seconds.
Kubica slows on lap 37 and Raikkonen laps Massa. Kubica pits and drives straight into the garage stuck in fifth gear. Meanwhile Kimi sets the fastest lap of the race. Kovalainen spins on lap 40 at Turn 1, losing a place to Massa.
Raikkonen pits on lap 42. Hamilton pits a lap later, but is heavily delayed by Sato prior to joining the pit lane. Mark Webber spins on the entry to the pit lane but recovers. Alonso pits two laps later and returns to the track comfortably ahead of Hamilton.
Coulthard launches over the front of Wurz with 9 laps to go, ripping the front wheels off his car. Wurz attempts to limp home.
Last lap of the race and Schumacher appears to be struggling, Kovalainen attempts to take advantage.
Provisional Top Eight Finishers:
K Raikkonen
F Alonso
L Hamilton
N Heidfeld
G Fisichella
F Massa
N Rosberg
R Schumacher
