* Pre-race: Michael Schumacher and Christijan Albers collide during one of the installation laps. Both cars are significantly damaged. The two drivers, who should have started sixth and 18th, return to the pits on foot and their teams rush to prepare spare cars. The stewards pledge to investigate the incident after the race.
* Lap 1: World champion Fernando Alonso gets away briskly from pole position and leads team-mate Giancarlo Fisichella into the first right-hander as the Italian fends off Kimi Räikkönen and Juan Pablo Montoya. Alonso pulls out 2.1s during the lap. Jenson Button slots into fifth from David Coulthard, Rubens Barrichello, Ralf Schumacher, Mark Webber, Jarno Trulli, Felipe Massa, Takuma Sato (a sprightly start from 17th), Christian Klien, Antonio Pizzonia, Jacques Villeneuve, Tiago Monteiro, Michael Schumacher (who starts from the pits), Robert Doornbos, Albers (who also gets away from the pits) and Narain Karthikeyan, who pits at the end of the final formation lap.
* Lap 2: Alonso extends his lead to 2.9s. The McLarens remain on Fisichella’s tail.
* Lap 3: Alonso laps in 1m34.789s – his lead grows to 3.9s.
* Lap 4: Alonso posts a 1m34.722s. He leads by 5.1s. Sato’s start is adjudged to have been too sprightly. He serves a drive-through penalty immediately and drops to the tail of the field. Karthikeyan passes Albers for what is now 18th.
* Lap 5: Alonso continues to get faster by the lap: 1m34.685s…
* Lap 6: …and 1m34.581s. His lead is now 6.9s. The McLarens continue to be frustrated by Fisichella. Button is drifting slightly in fifth but easing away from Barrichello. The rest remain as they were.
* Lap 7: Alonso ups his pace to 1m34.399s. Sato passes Albers.
* Lap 8: Sato moves up to 18th, ahead of Karthikeyan. Michael Schumacher remains 16th, 3.1s adrift of Monteiro. The deposed champ is lapping at about the same speed as the 15th-placed Jordan.
* Lap 10: Alonso leads by 11.2s after pulling away by another 1.3s. Sato passes Doornbos for 17th.
* Lap 11: Alonso sets a new fastest lap: 1m34.168s. His lead grows to 12.5s…
* Lap 12: …and 13.5s.
* Lap 13: Alonso goes quicker again: 1m34.000s. He’s 14.4s clear. Montoya is all but nudging Räikkönen as they chase Fisichella.
* Lap 15: Monteiro pits for fuel.
* Lap 16: Alonso has 16.5s in hand. Albers refuels.
* Lap 17: Alonso’s last five laps have all been within a tenth of each other. Coulthard, Trulli and Doornbos pit.
* Lap 18: Montoya runs over a loose drainage cover at Turn 10 and pits for a replacement front-right tyre. Button refuels. The safety car is deployed. Sato and Karthikeyan are first to take advantage.
* Lap 19: Alonso, Fisichella, Räikkönen, Barrichello, Ralf Schumacher, Webber, Massa, Klien, Pizzonia, Villeneuve and Montoya – again, this time for fuel – peel in to the pits.
* Lap 20: Running behind the safety car, Alonso heads Fisichella, Räikkönen, Barrichello, Ralf Schumacher, Webber, Button, Coulthard, Massa, Michael Schumacher (yet to stop), Klien, Pizzonia, Villeneuve, Montoya, Trulli, Monteiro, Sato, Karthikeyan, Doornbos and the lapped Albers.
* Lap 22: The safety car continues to circulate. Villeneuve runs wide off the track but rejoins, still just ahead of Montoya.
* Lap 23: Michael Schumacher spins at Turn Eight while running in the safety car queue. He is the first driver to retire. Monteiro makes a quick pit stop.
* Lap 24: Montoya retires to the pits.
* Lap 25: Race restarts. Alonso pulls 3.8s clear of Fisichella. Trulli, Karthikeyan, Sato and Doornbos edge ahead of Villeneuve who slips from 12th to 16th. Karthikeyan gains two places during the lap, having also passed Sato.
* Lap 27: Alonso and Fisichella are now lapping at similar speed, with Räikkönen 1.1s adrift of the Italian in third. Barrichello has already fallen 3.2s behind the leading trio.
* Lap 28: Sato runs wide at Turn 14 and drops behind Doornbos and Villeneuve.
* Lap 29: Karthikeyan crashes heavily at Turn 13. The Indian climbs from his car unaided but there is a considerable amount of debris on the track. The safety car is deployed.
* Lap 30: Alonso, Fisichella, Räikkönen, Barrichello, Webber, Button, Coulthard, Pizzonia, Trulli, Doornbos and Villeneuve pit.
* Lap 31: Alonso leads from Ralf Schumacher, Massa, Klien, Räikkönen and Fisichella (who swap places in the pits), Barrichello, Sato, Webber, Monteiro, Button, Coulthard, Trulli, Villeneuve, Pizzonia, Doornbos and Albers, who comes in to make his second fuel stop.
* Lap 35: Race restarts. Alonso pulls 2.7s clear of Ralf Schumacher. Räikkönen runs wide behind Klien and is 5.8s adrift of the leader in fifth. Sato pulls off to retire. Pizzonia posts a 1m50.339s and drops to 14th, behind Doornbos.
* Lap 36: Alonso extends his advantage to 3.3s. Räikkönen is now 6.9s in arrears but 2.8s clear of Fisichella. Coulthard passes Monteiro for 10th.
* Lap 38: Alonso still has three cars – and 8.4s – between him and Räikkönen. Webber is hustling Barrichello hard in seventh.
* Lap 40: Alonso is lapping in the mid-1m34s, comfortably faster than the stranded Räikkönen. Pizzonia repasses Doornbos for 14th.
* Lap 43: Klien sets a new fastest lap: 1m33.727s. Villeneuve passes Trulli for 12th.
* Lap 44: Massa refuels and drops to sixth. Webber is all over Barrichello. He finally forces the Brazilian into a mistake at Turn 14. As the Ferrari runs wide, Webber and Button gain a place. Barrichello rejoins just in front of Coulthard.
* Lap 45: A new fastest lap to Alonso: 1m33.536s. Klien pits and rejoins fifth. Coulthard passes Barrichello for ninth at Turn 14. Pizzonia demotes Trulli to 14th.
* Lap 46: Alonso is 4.9s clear of Ralf Schumacher and 13.3s ahead of Räikkönen. Barrichello pits. Villeneuve passes Monteiro for 11th.
* Lap 47: Ralf Schumacher pits. Pizzonia passes Monteiro.
* Lap 48: Alonso leads Räikkönen by 13.1s, with Fisichella 4.8s further adrift. Ralf Schumacher is fourth from Klien, Massa, Webber, Button, Coulthard, Villeneuve, Pizzonia, Monteiro, Trulli, Barrichello, Doornbos and Albers.
* Lap 49: Räikkönen posts fastest lap – 1m33.313s – but is 12.2s behind with seven laps remaining. Stewards announce that an incident involving Fisichella is being investigated.
* Lap 50: Fisichella is given a drive-through penalty for obstructive driving at the pit entry when he made his previous stop.
* Lap 51: Räikkönen cuts his arrears to 11.3s. Fisichella continues to circulate. Massa is working hard to keep Webber at bay.
* Lap 52: Fisichella pits and drops to fourth, behind Ralf Schumacher. Something flies off Albers’ car. He slows up and pulls into the pits.
* Lap 53: Doornbos passes the slowing Trulli.
* Lap 54: Räikkönen laps in 1m33.255s. He trails by 8.3s. Fisichella is catching Ralf Schumacher. Massa and Webber are running as one. Trulli pits.
* Lap 56: Alonso wins by 4.0s from Räikkönen to clinch the world championship for Constructors on Renault’s behalf. The Finn sets another fastest lap: 1m33.242s. Ralf Schumacher pips Fisichella to third by 0.7s. Klien, Massa, Webber and Button complete the top eight. Pizzonia stops at Turn Five and retires.