Schumacher's 87th career win, from pole position and ahead of Brazilian teammate Felipe Massa, trimmed Spaniard Alonso's overall championship lead to 19 points after 10 of the season's 18 races. Alonso now has 88 points to Schumacher's 69.

The Renault driver, ending a run of four wins and 15 podium finishes in a row, finished fifth in a field depleted by a first lap pile-up.

His Italian teammate Giancarlo Fisichella was third with Toyota's Jarno Trulli, starting from the pit lane after suspension problems on Saturday, fourth.

It was the Spaniard's worst result since he finished 11th in Hungary last July but his first finish in five visits to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Ferrari's first one-two finish of the season meant seven times world champion Schumacher has now won five of the seven races held at Indianapolis since Formula One returned to America in 2000.