Alonso wins Singapore Grand Prix

By Peter Rutherford

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Renault's double world champion Fernando Alonso won his first race in more than a year on Sunday while Lewis Hamilton extended his championship lead to seven points after a sensational Singapore Grand Prix.

Ferrari's Felipe Massa, a point behind Hamilton before Formula One's first night race, suffered a potential hammer blow to his title hopes after a pitstop blunder sent him from first to last. He finished 13th and out of the points.

Germany's Nico Rosberg finished second for Williams with Hamilton third for McLaren.

The result left 23-year-old Hamilton on course to become Formula One's youngest champion with 84 points to Massa's 77 and three races remaining.

Brazilian Massa had started on pole position and was on course to take the championship lead from Hamilton before a safety car interlude followed by a disastrous first pitstop changed the complexion of the race.

The Ferrari man was given the green light to go but the fuel hose was still connected to the car as he accelerated away.

The Ferrari dragged the hose down the pitlane, knocking over mechanics in the process, before Massa stopped and waited for assistance. After they struggled to remove the hose, the Brazilian rejoined the race at the back of the field.

Alonso, who had started in 15th place, took advantage of a safety car interlude and Massa's pitstop blunder to move up the field and collect the 20th win of his career and first since Italy last year for McLaren.