Alonso snatches Korean Grand Prix champion

Article Date	10-24-2010 20:37	Scrap Date	10-24-2010 23:30
Title	Alonso snatches Korean Grand Prix champion
Topic	YEONGAM, South Jeolla Province — In a postponed Formula One Korean Grand Prix due to rain Fernando Alonso of Ferrari clinched the top podium with a time of two hours 48 minutes 20.810 seconds.
Text	By Yoon Chul   YEONGAM, South Jeolla Province — In a postponed Formula One Korean Grand Prix due to rain Fernando Alonso of Ferrari *clinched the top *podium with a time of two hours 48 minutes 20.810 seconds. Alonso captured the win in front of about 80,000 spectators in Yeongam, South Jeolla Province, Sunday as *pole-positioner and race leader Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull had to retire due to a blown engine on 46 of 55-lap race.   It is Alonso’s fifth victory of the season — the most among drivers — and the Spanish driver took the lead in the F1 championship points with two more Grand Prix left.   “This is the first wet race that I won, so I am even happier,” Alonso said.   “Nothing changes. It was bad luck for Mark and Sebastian but anything can happen in the next two races,” added Alonso.   Alonso shared second with 206 before the Korean GP but his 25 winning points for 231 overwhelmed Mark Webber of Red Bull, who was first with 220 but failed to score.   “Totally my mistake. Wasn’t my day,” Webber told the BBC. “This is my second non-finish of the year. There are still two races to go, I’ll do my absolute best.”   Lewis Hamilton of McLaren finished second, which made him third in the championship standings with 210 and another Ferrari driver Felipe Massa came in at third.   Seven time world champion Michael Schumacher of Mercedes GP finished fourth — equalizing his best record of the season.   Because of rain on the newly launched Korea International Circuit, the race was in chaos and nine drivers couldn’t finish the race including two Red Bull drivers Webber and Vettel.   The race was halted for about an hour and the restarted race was led by the safety car for 17 laps.   Unable to overcome the difficult condition former championship leader Webber *spun out in the 19th lap.   The Australian racer lost control of his car spinning, and being hit by Nico Rosberg of Mercedes GP at turn 13.   Fernando Alonso of Ferrari, who was third-sitter, retook the chance to overtake Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull.   Alonso was about 12 seconds behind Vettel but the second safety car’s appearance erased the gap.   But Vettel, who is one of the best drivers in the rainy day races re-extended the gap with follower, Alonso.   As many drivers kept losing control on the slippery track the safety car *dispatched few times more and it shortened the gap with Vettel every time.   But the 23-year-old aggressive driver never gave up his position for a long time.   At the beginning of 46th lap, however, Alonso overtook the top position as Vettel’s machine slowed on the start-finish straight and was suddenly on fire and he had to retire from the game.
My Opinion	It's said that there are three big sports game. World Cup, Olympics, and Formula One. World Cup and Olympics are well known to Korea as the host country of both of them. But Formula One is not that known to many of us. By the way, Yeongam, my parents' hometown, decided to host Formula One. Many people doubt if it can be popular or beneficial because the admission fee is so expensive that not many people can watch the race. Nonetheless, many public and government-led campaigns succeed in introducing the F1 to the public and hosting the F1. Finally, all of three games were held in Korea.
Vocabulary	*clinch : vt. 못박다 *podium : n. 맨 밑바닥의 토대석(土臺石) *pole-positioner : n. 유리한 입장에 있는 사람 *spin out : (차가 고속으로 커브를 돌 때의) 도로에서 튀어나가다 *dispatch : vi. (일 따위를) 급히 해치우다, 신속히 처리하다
Important sentence structure
None
reference materials
Fernando Alonso of Spain holds his trophy aloft after winning the Korean Grand Prix on the Korean International Circuit in Yeongam, South Jeolla Province, Sunday.