The dramatic race started under the safety car due to the wet conditions and was red-flagged for 50 minutes on lap three before restarting, again under the safety car, and finishing just on the two-hour limit.

Nico Rosberg was in an excellent position in fourth place, having just overtaken Lewis Hamilton, when he was hit by the spinning car of Mark Webber and forced into retirement on lap 19.

Ross Brawn: "The team did an excellent job this weekend and have been rewarded with a very good result for Michael today. It could have been even better as Nico was in a strong position and obviously we are disappointed that he was taken out of the race. Nico had made a great overtaking move on Hamilton, he was very happy with the car and everything was going well up that point. Michael had an extremely good race. He took all of his opportunities and drove sensibly in the tricky conditions. We spent the latter part of the race looking after the tyres and making sure that we got through to the end as we didn't think that we could challenge the leaders. Overall a very positive weekend and we hope to finish the season with equally strong performances."

Norbert Haug: "A good race from Michael today finishing in fourth place behind the World Championship contenders as 'best of the rest' after a great manoeuvre to overtake Jenson Button. A shame for Nico who certainly had the possibility of finishing on the podium, given that he was ahead of Lewis who ultimately finished second, when he was caught up in Mark Webber's incident. A good job from our team here in treacherous conditions with no mistakes made which was very difficult today."

Fabrice Lom, Renault, Principal Engineer Track Support: Renault must apologise to the whole team for the engine failure on Seb's car. We need to investigate more before giving more details about the failure - it was an engine that was at its third grand prix but it obviously wasn't expected. What a bad result for us, we scored no points after starting on the front row - it's a big disappointment. We are still in the battle for both Championships and we will continue to push very hard - we took a hit today, but we will bounce back stronger in Brazil.

Luca di Montezemolo: What I am most pleased about is that we have shown that with determination, hard work, level headedness and the will to win, we can get out of the most difficult situations. We are a team that never gives up and we showed that yet again today. I want to congratulate the entire team, who worked in impeccable fashion, Fernando who was exceptional and Felipe who brought home a very important third place: it was great to see him on the podium with his team-mate and Chris Dyer.

Now however, we must keep our feet on the ground. The championship is still very open and we know we are up against very strong opponents. We will have to tackle the final two races with even higher levels of concentration, paying attention to every little detail.

Stefano Domenicali: First of all, let's just keep calm about this! This has been a fantastic day, in which we have turned around the situation in the Drivers' championship and also, albeit partially, put us back in a stronger position in the Constructors' classification. However, we are well aware the hardest part begins now. There are two races to go: we must tackle them with the same ferocious determination which has seen us fight back in a way many thought impossible. I have said it so often in the past, but I want to repeat it even today: what counts the most in this final part of the season is for the team and the drivers to keep a cool head, along with reliability and concentration. This weekend we proved capable of doing that even in very unusual conditions like those we experienced today. We are up against very strong opposition, especially in the shape of a team that has managed to take 14 poles from 17 races: to be in this position with just two races to go is already significant. First of all I want to thank our drivers: they were great, not making the slightest mistake, managing a very stressful race in very difficult conditions. The team worked very well and the little problem at Fernando's pit stop was soon recovered on track. As usual, our thanks extend to our commercial and technical partners, starting with Philip Morris, the Santander Bank and Shell, the latter bringing us a new fuel here which also helped. Finally, I want to say it is an honour for Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro to be the first name to go on the winner's trophy for the Korean Grand Prix, in a country that is expanding rapidly and a market that is also growing in importance in terms of our road cars.

Chris Dyer: A really fantastic day, which shows how true it is to say that it's not over until it's over! Never give up is something we say all the time and we demonstrated it again here. Our drivers did an exceptional job in extremely difficult conditions, with virtually no grip or visibility in the first part of the race. When the race started, after the Safety Car came in, we began to run at a good pace, but then the race was neutralised again. We were a smidgen unlucky with Fernando, who just as in Valencia was unable to pit right away and had to complete another lap before coming in. At the pit stop, we had a problem with the two wheel nuts, which lost him a place to Hamilton, but then, partly due to the pressure Fernando was putting on him at the restart, we won it back. Everything went smoothly in this part for Felipe, who maintained his position. After that, both drivers managed the tyres in an excellent way, especially the Spaniard who was always capable of putting Vettel under pressure, until he retired. The final stages were very tense, because we did not know if the tyres would go all the way to the end and another stop would have compromised the result. It is hard to realise that after everything that has happened this season, Fernando is now leading the championship! We have two races ahead of us, against very strong opponents, but we have seen how our car has improved race after race. We must continue working in this way!

John Russell, Senior Systems Engineer: The inaugural Korean GP proved to be a very eventful race. Finishing the race with both cars in the points is a solid result, but seventh and tenth is not wholly representative of our competitiveness this weekend. While looking good for fifth place, Rubens suffered rear tyre wear and a loss of grip. Keeping it on track to the end put him in seventh. Nico was unfortunate to pick up a slow puncture on his left rear in the closing stages as it forced an unscheduled stop which dropped him from P6 to P11. He recovered well, though, passing a Toro Rosso on the last lap to take tenth. Everyone in the team worked well today.

Alan Permane, Chief Race Engineer: We had originally hoped for a top five position with Robert in the dry yesterday afternoon, so it's pleasing to have achieved it after a tricky afternoon on the pitwall today. Robert drove a solid race in extremely difficult conditions - and did a very creditable job to climb to P5 by the finish, having kept his tyres fresh enough to be quick in the final laps. With Vitaly, we knew we had to be creative with him starting in P20. That led us to take a bit of a gamble, and put him onto intermediate tyres during the first Safety Car period. It was working out well, and he then benefited from the second Safety Car to climb to P7. After that, we were hoping he would be able to hold his position when he lost the car on the exit of turn 17 and had a big shunt. The good news was that he was fine afterwards.

Remi Taffin, Head of Engine Operations: Fifth position is pretty much right where we should have been with Robert, having made the right choices at the right times in the race. Vitaly's race was going very well before his accident, and he was doing a strong job to reap the benefits of his early stop. But he was far from the only driver to be caught out by the conditions today. As for our engines, we had no worries at all, and everything was well under control.

The Yeongam track was drenched by rain throughout the morning and after several delays the inaugural race was started under the safety car as visibility and track conditions were deemed too poor. It was certainly not the last time it would be deployed and Tonio was able to benefit from the final safety car to pit for intermediate tyres. He then moved into the top ten and despite heavy tyre wear in the closing stages of the race was able to move past Hulkenberg and Barrichello and secure sixth position, his highest finish since the Canadian Grand Prix.

Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal: I don't think I've ever seen a race quite like this one! We said it would be an interesting one and the constantly changing conditions threw up all sorts of challenges. It was a great performance by Tonio today as he kept his head and raced hard until the finish. It can't have been easy in the failing light and on a damp track on worn tyres but he did brilliantly to secure those crucial points. Adrian had a much more difficult race. He feels he didn't do himself justice, but I'm sure he'll come back stronger in Brazil and Abu Dhabi. Overall however a great team performance and a real boost for us going into the final double header of the year.

Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Officer: "First of all it was great that we could go racing and give all the Korean fans and everyone who has put so much effort into making this race happen the show they wanted to see. They were rewarded with an historic event, with the race finishing in the dark and some excellent action up and down the field. For us it was a day of mixed fortunes - a great finish once again as best of the new teams and Heikki drove a great race in the very tricky conditions, but disappointing for Jarno that he suffered another hydraulic issue that brought his race to an early end. But overall a great weekend for us. We qualified and finished as best of the new teams and maintained our tenth place, which was always our main goal."

Tony Fernandes, Team Principal: "That was extremely tense for me. Of all the 17 races we have had this season, that was by far the most nerve wracking, and I feel like I was put through the ringer throughout the whole afternoon. Today shows the true mettle of this team. Heikki drove a fantastic race, and even though he also had a possible hydraulic issue with about 20 laps to go, he battled through that, and a superb performance from the race team kept him out there to make sure he was on track at the end of the race to take 13th. We are edging ever closer to that tenth place, and even though Jarno suffered more hydraulic problems, we have taken steps to change that for next year, and it is experiences like today that will stand us in good stead for next season and beyond."

Dr. Colin Kolles, Team Principal: "We did our best race result of the season today and we are all very pleased about this. It was an action-packed debut in Korea and we could hold our position in the championship. Both drivers showed a good performance in these very difficult conditions. Today it was hard to drive, but Sakon Yamamoto and Bruno Senna managed to keep the car on the track. Thanks to everyone in the team for their amazing job during the whole weekend. We could beat our result from Japan and we hope to carry on like this in Brazil."

Peter Sauber, Team Principal: "Both drivers in the points in a turbulent and difficult race - that's positive. Compliments to both drivers who had to fight hard, particularly towards the end of the race. However, although we scored six points we couldn't reduce the gap to our direct competitors. We now have two chances left."

James Key, Technical Director: "Not surprisingly it was an eventful race with the conditions and the uncertainty over how the wet tyres would work here on the new track. It was sensible to delay the start a bit, and then take a cautious approach to start the race after the safety car came in. We took a bit of a gamble by bringing the cars in early for intermediate tyres after 19 laps during the safety car period, because the drivers thought it was possible. So we tried to pre-empt the inevitable pit stops for intermediate tyres. But we got held up badly by traffic and, as a result, we didn't really benefit from it and the others were able to pull away. That was unfortunate, but we can't complain, because both drivers did a really good job keeping it together under pressure, and hanging on to the tyres. The tyres lost a lot of lap time towards the final part of the race, as they were really old, but the drivers did a really good job of holding on, not making any mistakes and bringing the cars home in the points. We are happy with this result."

As Formula One counted down to the start of a race which several weeks ago had seemed like it might never happen, it had been raining intermittently for 15 hours and the conditions were getting worse, not better. After the start was delayed for 10 minutes in the hope that the heavens would close, the race got underway behind the safety car, but three laps was all it took to confirm that the circuit was undriveable. The race was subsequently red-flagged, which gave rise to a second grid formation.

At 16:05 the race was restarted, again behind the safety car, and after a further 13 laps the conditions had improved sufficiently to allow the racing to finally get underway. The early part was strong for both drivers, with Lucas making the right call to switch to the Intermediate tyre on lap 17 as the rain subsided and a dry line began to appear. He was running closely behind the established teams when he went out trying to avoid a crash with the slower Sakon Yamamoto ahead of him.

All hopes rested on Timo, who was running in a very encouraging 12th position when he was hit by Sebastian Buemi. The Toro Rosso driver lost control under braking at the end of the straight and speared the right-hand side of Timo's car. Timo came into the pits to allow the team to assess the damage, but it was too extensive for him to be able to continue and he was forced to retire.

John Booth, Team Principal: "A really unlucky day for us today as we were looking good for a strong placing with both cars. Lucas had made a good early switch to Intermediates, which would have benefited him as the race unfolded, but he crashed trying to avoid Yamamoto. Timo was up to 12th place and comfortably leading the new teams' battle when he was hit by Buemi in an accident which was entirely Buemi's fault and for which he was subsequently penalised. Both cars sustained considerable damage but we will regroup and bounce back strongly in Brazil."

Alonso won the rain delayed and suspended race which started and restarted behind the safety car. All drivers began on Bridgestone's wet tyres and were able to change to the intermediate tyres as conditions improved once racing began.

Vodafone McLaren Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton finished second and Alonso's team-mate Felipe Massa took third, both using the same tyre strategy as Alonso. Red Bull Racing's championship contenders, Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel both failed to finish.

Hiroshi Yasukawa - Director of Bridgestone Motorsport: "Today we witnessed a great first ever Korean Grand Prix and I am proud of Bridgestone's contribution. Congratulations to Fernando and Ferrari for their win and also to Lewis for his good charge to second place. Also it is good to see Felipe back on the podium and Michael finish in fourth. This was a tough event and I must praise the FIA, the organisers, officials and marshals at the track as well as the teams for maintaining professionalism throughout. The organisers have done a fantastic job to bring Formula 1 to this new and exciting market and I think many fans here and around the world enjoyed this superb race."

Hirohide Hamashima - Bridgestone Director of Motorsport Tyre Development: "There was so much drama and anticipation today! The delays were frustrating for all but safety is everyone's primary concern and the visibility was too poor to race. Both the intermediate and wet tyre performed very well and we saw Fernando manage his tyres excellently to maintain good pace right to the finish line. This was Bridgestone's first and last Korean Grand Prix and I will be proud of the performance of all of our specifications of tyres over the weekend here in Yeongam."