Defending world champion Fernando Alonso reduced his McLaren teammate Lewis Hamilton's lead at the top of the world championship to just three points yesterday when he led him home at the Italian Grand Prix.

Alonso, who started from the 17th pole position of his career, dominated the race from start to finish and was only out of the leading position for five laps following his first of two pit-stops.

The 2005 and 2006 champion came home seconds ahead of the 22-year-old British rookie to claim the 19th win in his 101st Grand Prix. With four races remaining, Hamilton leads by just three points with 92 to Spaniard Alonso's 89.

The only races remaining are next Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix and then the events in Japan, China and Brazil.

Finland's Kimi Raikkonen finished third for Ferrari, who suffered a dismal afternoon on home turf and against the background of the acrimonious and controversial 'spy story' scandal in which they claim McLaren have gained an advantage from a secret leaked dossier.

Brazilian Felipe Massa, who started third for Ferrari, was unable to finish after retiring early in the race after just 11 laps.

German Nick Heidfeld finished fourth for BMW Sauber ahead of his teammate Pole Robert Kubica, German Nico Rosberg in a Williams and Finn Heikki Kovalainen in a Renault.

Briton Jenson Button collected the final single point finishing eighth for Honda.

The 53-lap race began in perfect dry conditions, warm sunshine pouring down from a blue sky. The track temperature was 33 degrees Celsius and the air temperature 28 degrees as the cars completed their formation lap.

At the start, Alonso pulled away with a faultless departure from the grid. Hamilton, not enjoying the same smooth pace, struggled and was passed on the run down to the first chicane by Massa in his Ferrari.

The young Briton responded vigorously and regained second place as they entered the braking zone, but had to miss the apex of the second part of the Rettifilio Tribune to hold his position as they ran down to Curva Grande.

The positions then settled until the second lap when Briton David Coulthard careered off the track heavily into the barriers in his Red Bull after a collision with Italian Giancarlo Fisichella's Renault.

The race was brought under the control of the Safety Car. The Torro Rosso team's young German driver Sebastian Vettel also suffered an early accident.

When the action resumed in earnest, Alonso led Hamilton by less than a second and it remained like that until the next major drama saw Massa come in to the pits after 10 laps and then retire after 11.

For Ferrari and the army of Italian fans, it was a huge disappointment.

It was good news, however, for the many Spanish supporters of Alonso who had hung banners and waved flags from their grandstand seats opposite the pits.

(China Daily via agencies September 10, 2007)