Reverend
September 29th, 2008, 20:42 PM
Lewis Hamilton extended his lead in the world championship despite finishing the Singapore Grand Prix third behind winner Fernando Alonso of Renault.
The McLaren driver has a seven-point lead over Ferrari's Felipe Massa with three races remaining.
Massa led early on but finished 13th after a delay when he left the pits with his fuel hose still attached.
Alonso ended a season's frustration when a safety car period tallied perfectly with his team's strategy.
The double world champion had been quick all weekend but qualified only 15th when a fuel pump problem stopped him taking part in the second session.
Renault put him on a short first stint and he climbed up to 11th before an early stop on lap 12.
That meant that when the safety car came out after Alonso's Renault team-mate Nelson Piquet Jr crashed on lap 15, the Spaniard was alone among the front-runners in not having to stop for fuel and tyres.
Once everyone had stopped, Alonso was fifth behind Williams's Nico Rosberg, Toyota's Jarno Trulli, Force India's Giancarlo Fisichella and BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica.
But Rosberg and Kubica had to serve stop-go penalties for pitting while the pit lane was closed during the safety car period.
Trulli and Fisichella were on single-stop strategies but Alonso had more than enough pace to ensure he made enough of a gap to ensure he could make a second stop and stay ahead of them.
It was his first win since last year's Italian Grand Prix, when he was driving for McLaren, a team he left after one season following a tumultuous season as Hamilton's team-mate.
Singapore Grand Prix Result:
1. Fernando Alonso (Spa) Renault
2. Nico Rosberg (Ger) Williams-Toyota
3. Lewis Hamilton (GB) McLaren-Mercedes
4. Timo Glock (Ger) Toyota
5. Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Toro Rosso-Ferrari
6. Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber
7. David Coulthard (GB) Red Bull-Renault
8. Kazuki Nakajima (Jpn) Williams-Toyota
Championship standings:
1. Lewis Hamilton (GB) McLaren-Mercedes 84 pts
2. Felipe Massa (Brz) Ferrari 77
3. Robert Kubica (Pol) BMW Sauber 64
4. Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 57
5. Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber 56
6. Heikki Kovalainen (Fin) McLaren 51
7. Fernando Alonso (Spa) Renault 38
8. Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Toro Rosso-Ferrari 27
Constructors' Championship:
1. McLaren-Mercedes 135 pts
2. Ferrari 134
3. BMW Sauber 120
4. Renault 51
5. Toyota 46
Full report: BBC Sport (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7640668.stm)
The McLaren driver has a seven-point lead over Ferrari's Felipe Massa with three races remaining.
Massa led early on but finished 13th after a delay when he left the pits with his fuel hose still attached.
Alonso ended a season's frustration when a safety car period tallied perfectly with his team's strategy.
The double world champion had been quick all weekend but qualified only 15th when a fuel pump problem stopped him taking part in the second session.
Renault put him on a short first stint and he climbed up to 11th before an early stop on lap 12.
That meant that when the safety car came out after Alonso's Renault team-mate Nelson Piquet Jr crashed on lap 15, the Spaniard was alone among the front-runners in not having to stop for fuel and tyres.
Once everyone had stopped, Alonso was fifth behind Williams's Nico Rosberg, Toyota's Jarno Trulli, Force India's Giancarlo Fisichella and BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica.
But Rosberg and Kubica had to serve stop-go penalties for pitting while the pit lane was closed during the safety car period.
Trulli and Fisichella were on single-stop strategies but Alonso had more than enough pace to ensure he made enough of a gap to ensure he could make a second stop and stay ahead of them.
It was his first win since last year's Italian Grand Prix, when he was driving for McLaren, a team he left after one season following a tumultuous season as Hamilton's team-mate.
Singapore Grand Prix Result:
1. Fernando Alonso (Spa) Renault
2. Nico Rosberg (Ger) Williams-Toyota
3. Lewis Hamilton (GB) McLaren-Mercedes
4. Timo Glock (Ger) Toyota
5. Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Toro Rosso-Ferrari
6. Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber
7. David Coulthard (GB) Red Bull-Renault
8. Kazuki Nakajima (Jpn) Williams-Toyota
Championship standings:
1. Lewis Hamilton (GB) McLaren-Mercedes 84 pts
2. Felipe Massa (Brz) Ferrari 77
3. Robert Kubica (Pol) BMW Sauber 64
4. Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 57
5. Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW Sauber 56
6. Heikki Kovalainen (Fin) McLaren 51
7. Fernando Alonso (Spa) Renault 38
8. Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Toro Rosso-Ferrari 27
Constructors' Championship:
1. McLaren-Mercedes 135 pts
2. Ferrari 134
3. BMW Sauber 120
4. Renault 51
5. Toyota 46
Full report: BBC Sport (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7640668.stm)