In front of a capacity crowd enjoying 32 degree temperatures, both front row drivers Jenson Button and Michael Schumacher found themselves overwhelmed by those behind at the start with the Renaults of Giancarlo Fisichella and Fernando Alonso sweeping past into first and second places, followed by Button in third, then Juan Pablo Montoya and Kimi Raikonnen.

Michael came by in sixth place before a gap to Jarno Trulli’s Toyota(up two places), Takuma Sato (down two places after a touch from Villeneuve), Felipe Massa (up two places) and Nick Heidfeld (up four places) in tenth.

These remained the positions for the first 11 laps before Michael pitted on lap 12. Button came in on lap 15 and his teammate Sato a lap later, but he pulled straight into the garage to have a gearbox problem rectified which took many laps.

At the front, the Renaults were running in close formation but the pair were being gained on by the McLarens in third and fourth. On lap 24 and 25, a Renault and a McLaren pitted, but when they rejoined, Fisichella still led but was soon being hauled in by teammate Alonso. Montoya remained in third place from Raikkonen fourth, while Button was next from Michael Schumacher nearly 10s further back. Then came a large gap to Trulli, now being pushed by Barrichello.

Fisichella began to slow on lap 32 with a gearbox problem, and pulled into the pits to retire, leaving Alonso in the lead and being pushed by Montoya who was leaving Raikkonen behind as the Finn had a problem with his steering wheel which had turned to the left. Button was next from Michael. These two made their second stops on lap 34 and still emerged fourth and fifth. Trulli was next from a battle comprising Massa, Heidfeld and Ralf Schumacher.

But on lap 38 Alonso hit the wall at one of the back chicanes causing retirement and giving the lead to Montoya. Raikkonen was second from Button and Michael Schumacher. Trulli was next from Massa still being pushed by Heidfeld and Ralf Schumacher.

But the Williams driver found his car overheating behind the Sauber and the engine failed on lap 44. Three laps Button crashed out of third coming out of the final chicane which caused the safety car to be deployed. Montoya was unable to pit in time, but everyone else did, and when Montoya came out, he failed to observe the red light at the pit lane exit and was disqualified.

When the safety car did go in, Raikkonen was briefly ahead of Montoya until he pulled out, with Michael Schumacher now third from Trulli in fourth, and then Barrichello, Massa, Webber, Ralf Schumacher and then Coulthard.

In the closing laps, Raikkonen pulled out a 2.7s lead, but lost half of it when he went on the grass at a back chicane on lap 64. Behind Michael Trulli was heading for third but a brake disc broke on lap 61 and he retired, leaving the position to Barrichello. Massa just held off Webber for fourth place, while Ralf Schumacher was the first lapped runner in sixth from Coulthard and Klien just holding off Villeneuve. Monteiro and Albers completed the finishers.