Fernando Alonso drives to victory Sunday at the inaugural Korean Formula One Grand Prix in Yeongam-gun, South Korea.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Rain proved the biggest factor at inaugural race in South Korea, safety car deployed
• Championship heads for the penultimate race of the season with Alonso 11 points ahead
• Webber held a 14-point advantage going into the inaugural Korean GP

(CNN) -- Ferrari's Fernando Alonso won an incident-packed Korean Grand Prix Sunday to take over the lead in the F1 world title race as his Red Bull rivals Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel failed to finish.

The two-time champion took the checkered flag from McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, with his Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa in third place.

it leaves the Spaniard with an 11-point lead in the championship from Webber, with 2008 champion Hamilton 21 points adrift. Vettel, who had looked set to lead the championship, is fourth 25 points behind, with two races to go.

But the story of the race, held in appalling conditions on the new Korea International Circuit and Yeongam, was the demise of the Red Bulls.

Australian Webber held a 14-point advantage going into the inaugural Korean GP and had started second on the grid behind his teammate Vettel.

Rain had meant the early laps of the race were behind the safety car, but when it pulled off Webber made a mistake on lap 19 and collided with the unfortunate Nico Rosberg, who had been making a strong challenge in his Mercedes.

"Totally my my fault, I got on the kerb," the Australian told BBC Sport.

We know with the new points system everything can change in one race - if you don't score, you lose 25 points to your opponents
--Fernando Alonso

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It left Vettel in the lead while Alonso and Hamilton exchanged second position in a close battle, but on lap 46 of 55 the engine on the German's Red Bull gave up in a sea of smoke, oil and shattered parts.

Alonso could scarcely believe his good fortune, but he had produced a peerless drive in the conditions to capitalize.

Despite his delight, he told the post-race press conference that the championship battle was still wide open.

"We know with the new points system everything can change in one race - if you don't score, you lose 25 points to your opponents.

"Here it was bad luck for Mark and Sebastian. Anything can happen in the next two races. As we repeat many times, being consistent is very important, we cannot forget we need to be on the podium and fighting for the victory in the last two races."

Hamilton, whose teammate and reigning champion Jenson Button could only manage 12th after battling tire and grip problems, was delighted to keep revive his slender title chances.

"My tires were shot at the end, so it was just about trying to get the car home," he admitted.

Seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher finished fourth for Mercedes in one of his best drives since his comeback to Formula One this season with Pole Robert Kubica fifth in the improving Renault.

Vitantonio Liuzzi was sixth for Force India with Rubens Barrichello in seventh in the Williams. The two Saubers of Kamui Kobayashi and Nick Heidfeld were eighth and ninth, respectively while Nico Hulkenberg claimed the final points scoring position in 10th.

Red Bull maintain their lead in the constructors' championship, with a lead of 27 points over McLaren, despite their misfortunes in Korea. The charging Ferrari team is a further 25 points adrift.