* Pre-race: Takuma Sato struggles to get off the line at the start of the final formation lap, but the car finally coughs into life and he makes it to the grid.

* Lap 1: On pole position for the fourth time this season – and the 68th in his F1 career – Michael Schumacher gets away cleanly ahead of team-mate, and fellow front-row starter, Felipe Massa. The Brazilian repels world championship leader Fernando Alonso’s vigorous early challenge. Jarno Trulli runs fourth. Ralf Schumacher is beaten away initially by Kimi Räikkönen but reclaims fifth before the end of the lap. Giancarlo Fisichella settles into seventh ahead of Mark Webber, Pedro de la Rosa, Nick Heidfeld, David Coulthard, Rubens Barrichello, Scott Speed, Jacques Villeneuve, Christian Klien, Jenson Button, Nico Rosberg (docked 10 places on the grid for an unscheduled engine change), Christijan Albers (who is competing despite a painful mouth ulcer), Vitantonio Liuzzi (also penalised 10 starting positions for an engine switch), Franck Montagny and Tiago Monteiro. Sato pulls off to retire at Turn Six.

* Lap 2: Liuzzi passes Albers for 18th.

* Lap 3: Michael Schumacher extends his lead to 1.9s.

* Lap 5: The leader sets a new fastest lap: 1m 17.913s. He leads by 2,8s. Alonso is pushing Massa very hard, as he has since the start.

* Lap 6: Barrichello runs wide and drops to 13th, behind Speed.

* Lap 10: Michael Schumacher leads by 4.7s. Monteiro takes off after clipping a kerb and proceeds to the pits at slow speed. He retires.

* Lap 11: Michael Schumacher ups his pace: 1m 17.761s.

* Lap 14: Michael Schumacher goes faster again: 1m 17.581s. Villeneuve passes Barrichello for 13th.

* Lap 16: Massa makes the race’s first scheduled stop.

* Lap 17: Alonso and Räikkönen both pit. Alonso rejoins 4.1s behind Massa.

* Lap 18: Michael Schumacher, Fisichella and de la Rosa pit. Massa sets fastest lap: 1m 17.141s. Trulli and Ralf Schumacher run 1-2 for Toyota. De la Rosa vaults Webber when he rejoins.

* Lap 19: Webber and Montagny pit. Barrichello’s Honda emits a puff of engine smoke and he pulls off.

* Lap 20: Leader Trulli peels in for fuel and tyres. Ralf Schumacher takes over at the front.

* Lap 21: Button and Rosberg pit.

* Lap 22: Ralf Schumacher comes in – but it’s a slow stop and he slumps to seventh, behind Räikkönen and Fisichella. Michael Schumacher regains the lead.

* Lap 25: Michael Schumacher leads Massa by 5.8s and Alonso by another 5.0s. Räikkönen is pressing fourth-placed Trulli. Heidfeld pits.

* Lap 26: Albers pits.

* Lap 27: Räikkönen passes Trulli for fourth. Villeneuve pits.

* Lap 28: Speed pits.

* Lap 29: Coulthard pits.

* Lap 30: Räikkönen and de la Rosa, fourth and eighth, are lapping at about the same pace as Michael Schumacher.

* Lap 31: Klien and Liuzzi are the final drivers to make their first scheduled stops.

* Lap 32: Räikkönen comes in for a second time.

* Lap 34: Massa makes his second stop.

* Lap 35: Half-distance: Michael Schumacher leads Alonso by 16.2s. Massa is third from Trulli, Fisichella, Ralf Schumacher, Räikkönen, de la Rosa (who pits), Webber, Heidfeld and Coulthard. The rest are all lapped. Tail-ender Montagny makes his second stop.

* Lap 38: Michael Schumacher, Trulli and Webber pit. Michael Schumacher rejoins in second, right on Alonso’s tail.

* Lap 39: Webber suffers a deflated left rear tyre on his out lap. He spins and returns to the pits for lengthy repairs. Trulli comes straight back to the pits and retires with a technical problem.

* Lap 42: Alonso pits for the second time. Michael Schumacher reclaims the lead, 13.6s clear of Massa. Alonso is third, another 10.6s adrift.

* Lap 44: Rosberg pits.

* Lap 45: Fisichella pits, as does Button.

* Lap 46: Michael Schumacher laps in 1m 17.111s – the race’s fastest so far. Ralf Schumacher and Heidfeld pit. Ralf Schumacher resumes in fifth, ahead of Fisichella.

* Lap 48: Albers pits.

* Lap 50: de la Rosa and Speed pit.

* Lap 51: Montagny pits.

* Lap 52: Coulthard and Liuzzi pit.

* Lap 53: Massa, Räikkönen, Villeneuve and Liuzzi pit. Massa rejoins third, several seconds behind Alonso.

* Lap 55: Michael Schumacher pits and rejoins without losing his lead.

* Lap 56: Michael Schumacher leads Alonso by 18.7s. Rosberg makes his third stop.

* Lap 60: Just 10 laps remain and seven cars – Michael Schumacher, Alonso, Massa, Ralf Schumacher, Räikkönen, Fisichella and de la Rosa – remain on the lead lap. The closest gap is that between Ralf Schumacher and Räikkönen: 1.9s. Heidfeld lies eighth.

* Lap 61: Button, 14th, retires to the pits.

* Lap 70: Michael Schumacher scores his fourth victory of the campaign, beating Alonso by 10.1s. The Spaniard leads the world title race by 17 points. Massa is third from Ralf Schumacher, Räikkönen, Fisichella, de la Rosa and Heidfeld.