This is also the only official Formula One race weekend for Chanoch Nissany, who drove for Minardi in Free Practice 1 and was just over six seconds behind the next slowest driver.

Michael Schumacher surprised the paddock by taking his first pole position of the season, causing speculation that he was running a light first fuel load in order to build a gap on a circuit on which overtaking is notoriously difficult.

Jarno Trulli continued his impressive qualifying form by taking 3rd place, while Kimi Räikkönen took fourth spot despite being the first runner out on the dirty circuit.

Both Michael Schumacher and Montoya got fast starts, while Räikkönen took Trulli off the line, and ended the lap in second place, having passed his teammate as well.

Most managed to avoid it, but David Coulthard, apparently unsighted by Mark Webber's Williams, hit the debris, causing the Scot's right-front suspension to break and force him into retirement.

Meanwhile, Barrichello, forced back due to his early damage, got past Minardi's Robert Doornbos, clear superior car speed meaning the Dutch driver could offer no resistance.

Räikkönen entered the pits first, on lap 11, showing that his qualifying effort was significantly helped by the light fuel load, and leaving Schumacher to attempt to open a gap before his own stop.

Trulli became the second driver to take his scheduled fuel stop on lap 13, while Alonso made short work of Albers to move into 15th.

Montoya was in third position, ahead of Ralf Schumacher, Trulli, Button, Heidfeld, Takuma Sato, Fisichella, Barrichello and Webber.

Fourth place went to Trulli, ahead of Jenson Button, followed by the Williams' of Heidfeld and Webber, with Sato scoring his first point of the year in 8th.

Winner Kimi Räikkönen declined the traditional champagne spraying as a mark tribute to 29-year-old McLaren chef Darren Hawker, who died on 27 July.

It was not the first time that such an event befell F1, as in 1991 a Lotus mechanic died in similar circumstances at the San Marino Grand Prix.

Michael Schumacher sits in 3rd place on 55 points, while the following six drivers will all be out of the championship race if they fail to score in the Turkish Grand Prix.