'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYH/8QAFAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAf/aAAwDAQACEAMQAAAAjM0F/8QAHhABAQABBQADAAAAAAAAAAAAAQISAAMEBSEGERP/2gAIAQEAAT8A+f8Adb3Ud31s8OJamP2jIMZvJPvFHLyUTW5y6dykuwV8PA1//8QAFREBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL/2gAIAQIBAT8Ap//EABURAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR/9oACAEDAQE/AK//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
A stint with McLaren, half a decade with Ferrari, two F1 world championships with Renault, and two-thirds of the elusive triple crown of motorsport, Fernando Alonso has had an illustrious career. The Spaniard completed 350 race starts in Formula 1 at the 2022 F1 Singapore Grand Prix and he is not done yet. Fans are more than happy to see the 41-year-old continue to compete in F1
Although Fernando Alonso ended his 350th race in Singapore with an unfortunate mechanical failure, he is one of the most acclaimed drivers in Formula 1 with 32 race wins, 98 podiums, 22 poles, and 23 fastest laps. Let’s take a look at some of the finest moments of the Spaniard's F1 career.
4. Fernando Alonso's best qualifying performance - Hockenheimring, German Grand Prix 2012
Fernando Alonso regards this as his best qualifying and this justifies the 2012 F1 German GP being mentioned here. In an interview, Alonso spoke about his qualifying lap at the 2012 GP in Hockenheim:
“It was a wet quali, we were not performing that weekend with Ferrari on dry conditions, it rained just before quali heavily so we were with extreme wet tires, which are normally tricky to switch on and yeah we put a lap that you know I was very proud of and I knew that could be pole position and I think that was my best lap in qualifying.”
Alonso put in a time of 1:40.621, taking the pole and outperforming Sebastian Vettel (who qualified in P2) by nearly 5-tenths of a second. Fernando’s Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa only managed P14. Alonso went on to convert his pole position into a race win, leading 65 out of the 67 laps raced. This was his third win of the year and 30th of his illustrious career.
3. 2013 Spanish Grand Prix - his most recent race win
In his most recent race win, Fernando Alonso started fifth on the grid and showcased his skills while overtaking both Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton around the outside of Turn 3 on the opening lap.
Opting for an aggressive four-stop strategy instead of taking three stops like most other drivers, the Spaniard had to extract a lot of pace from his car to overtake Vettel, who was in P2, and then pole-sitter Nico Rosberg, who was running first. After gaining the lead, he comfortably brought the car home and won his 32nd Grand Prix.
Since this race win, Fernando Alonso has also been on top of the podium on numerous occasions in 2013, once in 2014, and most recently in 2021 (Qatar), where he managed to finish third, behind Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. Alonso hasn’t won a race since the 2013 F1 Spanish Grand Prix but has consistently been scoring points in the seasons since.
With his move from Alpine to Aston Martin for the 2023 season, though unlikely, fans hope that the UK-based team can provide the two-time world champion with a car that will regularly see the Spanish driver on the podium and provide him with another win.
2. Winning his first World Championship title
Interlagos gave Fernando Alonso his first world championship title in 2005. Despite not having the fastest car that season, strong reliability and consistency helped the Spanish driver put an end to Michael Schumacher and Ferrari’s dominance in the sport and clinch his first title. Alonso became the youngest driver to win an F1 title at 24 years and 58 days. Eventually, Lewis Hamilton broke that record in 2008.
In the 2005 season, Alonso delivered one of the most consistent performances of his career. He was on the podium in 15 out of the 18 races he started, winning seven of those. He ended the season with six pole positions and two fastest laps, scoring 133 points, 21 ahead of Kimi Raikkonen in second.
1. Fernando Alonso's most iconic drive yet - Valencia, European Grand Prix 2012
Fernando Alonso was asked before the start of his 350th race start in F1 what he thought was his best race. The two-time world champion replied:
“That win in Valencia meant a lot for me. I started eleventh after a bad qualifying and then, yeah, winning in Spain with Ferrari, a little bit unexpected, I think it was my best race in terms of performance.”
The 2012 Formula 1 season saw a record seven different drivers win the first seven races. Valencia was the venue for the eighth round of the season.
Valencia is a street circuit, narrow with little overtaking possible. Starting P11, nobody expected Fernando Alonso to be anywhere close to the podium places, let alone win the race. But the way Alonso masterfully maneuvered his car, cutting through the field, overtaking driver after driver in quick succession, and a little bit of luck along with this brilliant drive of his saw him take home the 2012 F1 European GP win.
His first on home soil since 2006, the win in Valencia was probably one of the best drives we have witnessed from the two-time world champion. The Spanish driver has had some brilliant races over his illustrious career. Known for defending like a lion, Alonso has managed to keep the very best of drivers behind him even with comparatively inferior cars and older tires. The 2005 San Marino Grand Prix and the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix are some of the best examples of this.
Fernando Alonso has also managed to win a staggering 14 times from pole position, with the 2012 German Grand Prix being one of the best instances of this. Adding everything up, the circumstances, the conditions, and events that took place at the 2012 European Grand Prix, it can be said without a shadow of a doubt that it was the most iconic drive of Alonso's career.
Fernando Alonso is one of the best drivers Formula 1 has witnessed and the numbers back it up. Along with being known for his on-track performances, his off-track antics have entertained fans all over the world, and it deserves a special mention.
#PlacesAlonsoWouldRatherBe
As we all know, Fernando Alonso has a carefree attitude. This very nature of Alonso has given F1 one of its most iconic moments. After McLaren failed him in qualifying at the 2015 F1 Brazilian Grand Prix, Alonso decided against a long walk back to the pit lane for a debrief with his team.
Instead, Fernando Alonso basked in the rays of a sunny Interlagos while the remainder of qualifying took place. That viral image of him sparked millions of memes along with the hashtag #PlacesAlonsoWouldRatherBe.
Despite Alonso's actions, McLaren boss Ron Dennis took it in good humor and told F1's official website:
"I chuckled to myself, to be honest, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. There's nothing wrong with a bit of humour."
This picture of Alonso continues to be widely used on the internet.
What is your favourite Fernando Alonso moment? Tell us in the comments section below..
