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Alonso wins Korean Grand Prix

YEONGAM, South Korea, Oct. 24 (UPI) -- Fernando Alonso crossed first in his Ferrari at Sunday's Korean Grand Prix and moved into the Formula One world championship point standings lead.

Alonso finished 15 seconds ahead of McLaren's Lewis Hamilton while Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber, who had led the drivers' standings entering the race, had mishaps and didn't finish the 55-lap race.

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Heavy rains caused the first two laps to be run behind a safety car and officials halted the race for nearly an hour because of poor visibility at the 3.49-mile track at Yeongam, South Korea.

After another 15 laps behind the safety car, Vettel and Webber took the lead with Alonso in third once the green flag was dropped. But Webber, who opened the day with a 14-point lead over Alonso and Vettel, hit a wall on the 19th lap and was out of the race.

Vettel took the lead through lap 46 before engine failure forced him from the race and into a 17-place finish.

That cleared the way for Alonso, who led the rest of the way and held off Hamilton.

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Sunday's results left Alonso first in the drivers' standings with 231 points. Webber is second (220) with Hamilton (210) in fourth and Vettel (206) in fifth.

There are two races left on the 2010 Formula One schedule. The Brazilian Grand Prix is scheduled for Nov. 7 and the season winds up Nov. 14 in Abu Dhabi.

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