Fernando Alonso, true to form, took the Mild Seven Renault F1 Team’s third victory of the season and increased his lead in the drivers’ championship with a dominant display of speed and determination. The Spaniard won the race by 1.8 seconds from McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen.

Jarno’s afternoon was much shorter as he was taken out of the race on the very first lap. Trulli was overtaking David Coulthard when their cars made contact, breaking the Toyota’s rear suspension.

The race saw overtaking, an aborted start and no less than four safety car periods but it was Alonso who kept his cool and eventually cruised to his 10th career win. Pole sitter Jenson Button in his Honda saw his afternoon turn into a complete nightmare.

The start was aborted after Juan Pablo Montoya spun his McLaren on the grid, letting the entire field past him. There was another test of nerves for Button as Giancarlo Fisichella stalled his Renault on the grid and the start was aborted. After a second parade lap in which Montoya retook his original grid position, the cars lined up again on the grid, this time without trouble.

Button made a clean start with Alonso trying to get past him but to no avail. In turn three, Alonso got along side the Honda and tried to pass on the outside but Button was committed in keeping the inside line and pushed the Spaniard wide. While Button retained the lead from Alonso, the two McLarens diced each other on every part of the track but two incidents saw the safety car deployed.

Christian Klien hit Massa’s Ferrari sending the Brazilian into the wall at turn two, bringing out with him Nico Rosberg’s car. In a separate incident, Jarno Trulli hit the back of David Coulthard and while the Red Bull could continue, Trulli’s race was done.

The race resumed after two laps behind the safety car. In turn one, Alonso caught Button napping and passed him with a late braking maneuver. By the fourth lap, Alonso was leading Button, Raikkonen, Webber and Montoya as Christian Klien lost control of his Red Bull on the approach to turn nine and smashed into the wall causing the safety car to be deployed once again.

At the restart, Button lost another position with Raikkonen blasting down the inside of turn one in another aggressive move. Button fought back down the inside of turn three but Raikkonen prevailed.

Through the succeeding laps, Alonso steadily built a lead over Raikkonen worth nine seconds by the first pit stops on lap 18. Montoya was first to pit and Button came in on the next lap. Alonso pitted on lap 20 while Raikkonen put in two personal best sectors before making his pit stop on the next lap.

Mark Webber inherited the lead of his home Grand Prix and enjoyed the spotlight until his Williams ground to a halt on lap 22.

As the middle part of the race unfolded, Alonso led over Raikkonen, Montoya, Heidfeld, Button and Michael Schumacher.

After his first pit stop, the seven-time World Champion drove impressively until lap 34 when he ran wide on the exit of the final corner, hit a bump and ploughed into the wall. It was the end of Schumacher’s charge, Ferrari’s third wreck of the weekend and the third safety car period of the afternoon.

A flurry of activity followed in the pits while the safety car was out — McLaren hitting problems as both its cars came in at the same time and Montoya forced to wait while the team changed Raikkonen’s nose.

During the restart, Raikkonen was again held up by Monteiro with Alonso benefiting with a full three second lead. The order seemed cast for the finish until lap 46 when Montoya ran wide in the final corner and his car cut out after a brief puff of blue smoke, dropping him from a possible podium finish.

Alonso cruised home to take his 10th career win and his second of the season in a frantic Grand Prix. Raikkonen had to settle for second place in the end without an answer to Alonso’s dominant pace. Ralf Schumacher put in another strong drive to keep his cool and benefit from each of the four safety car periods and cash in a podium finish.