SINGAPORE SWING; FERNANDO ALONSO WINS AS LEWIS HAMILTON EXTENDS POINTS LEAD.(NEWS)

Byline: ADAM COOPER

A giant Sands casino complex is taking shape just across the river from Singapore's Marina Bay Grand Prix circuit, and in a couple of years, it will be a key part of the country's push to become a tourist destination.

In the meantime, Fernando Alonso and Renault rolled the dice a little early, and their gamble paid off spectacularly. After starting 15th in the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix, the former world champion caught a break with a safety-car period and then rode his luck to the checkered flag, giving Formula One its second consecutive upset win in a year that was supposed to be dominated by McLaren-Mercedes and Ferrari.

An unexpected winner seemed appropriate as F1 embarked on a new era of night racing under floodlights. Intro-duced so that the race could start at the same time as European eventsthus guaranteeing a big international TV audiencethe concept proved to be a huge success. The cars looked spectacular as drivers fought for control over a bumpy, challenging street venue that snakes between modern shopping malls and colonial buildings. Brake discs glowed, sparks flew as cars bottomed out and flames belched from red-hot exhaust pipes.

There were some concerns about safety, in particular with pit entry and exit, which kept drivers cautious while taking the usual racing line. But everything went like clockwork and, to the obvious delight of commercial boss Bernie Ecclestone, F1 provided a spectacular show.

It should have been a battle between the main championship contenders, with Ferrari's Felipe Massa and Mc-Laren's Lewis Hamilton securing the front row, and outside contenders Kimi Raikkonen and Robert Kubica just behind. Alonso appeared to have no chance. Quick in practice, he had a fuel-system problem in the second qualifying session, resulting in his 15th-place starting position.

Usually in such circumstances, a team would fill the car with fuel and run as long as possible on a one-stop schedule, hoping to catch a break with a safety car. Renault did the opposite, giving Alonso a light fuel load and the chance to use up the less-favored supersoft tires with a short stint at the start.