On top of that, Michael Schumacher had damaged his car in a first-lap accident with Jarno Trulli and it was a good opportunity for Coulthard to extend his lead over the German.
Hamilton's gameplan kept him ahead of a slightly off-color Raikkonen, who was hindered by a cardamaged after contact with the luckless Kovalainen at the start.
Most owners like to race their Vipers on tracks, and to help the vehicle better handle such an environment, Dodge added a front sporter that hangs low on the car and is easily damaged if it scrapes a cement parking-lot block.