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Fernando Alonso has pretty much done it all in the world of Formula One. The Spaniard turned 37 yesterday and despite losing the pace of yesteryear, he continues to keep the smile that entertained racing fans for well over two decades.
The 37-year-old has had a roller-coaster of a career already and it doesn't look like he's about to let up any time soon even with the problems his current team McLaren seem to be having in their pit-garage. He may seem incredibly level-headed now, but Alonso was anything but during his formative years in F1, and it was perhaps that aggression that won him a double World Championship crown at a time when nobody could out-race the indomitable Michael Schumacher.
Alonso was winning titles much before he stepped foot in the cash-rich world of F1, beating drivers much senior to him in age in karting tournaments around Europe with his father as his mentor and mechanic. After a respectable fourth-place finish in Formula 3000 in a field that consisted of Australian Mark Webber, Alonso got his big break with F1 while testing with Minardi, the same team that gave him his eventual debut in 2001.
So thus began the story of one of Spain's most influential talents ever. On the occasion of his birthday, we look back at the Spaniard's favourite F1 races as revealed to Formula 1 in an interview back in June:
#4 2003 Hungarian GP (Winner: Fernando Alonso)
They say you never forget your first ever win, and for Fernando Alonso, that feeling is no different. After joining Renault in 2002, Alonso showed his class at the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix right from the get-go.
After grabbing pole position, the Spaniard drove an impeccable race all the way to the chequered flag, finishing almost 17 seconds ahead of his closest competitor in Kimi Raikkonen. This marked not only his first ever F1 victory, but also made Alonso the youngest ever driver to win an F1 race. Truly momentous.
The raucous scenes after the race highlighted just how important the win was for Alonso and the entire Renault team and it was clear to all watching that day, that a star was born.
#3 2005 Brazilian GP (Winner: Juan Pablo Montoya)
2005 turned out to be the year of change in F1. Michael Schumacher had formerly dominated the calendar without a hitch and looked on course to do it again this year. But the German was met with stiff opposition from a virtual rookie but a man who was making a real name for himself.
After proving his worth throughout the season, Alonso wrapped up the World Championship at the Brazilian Grand Prix that year after dominating qualifying and countering a tough race to finish third, a position that secured his first ever World Championship in F1.
It was a great day for all involved in the Renault team, and is still one of the iconic moments in F1 history.
#2 2006 Monaco GP (Winner: Fernando Alonso)
Monaco is widely considered one of the most grueling and toughest races on the F1 calendar. Or as Alonso himself puts it- "Winning in Monaco is the closest thing to being World Champion."
And that's exactly what Fernando pulled off in 2006. Despite winning the World Championship a year earlier, Renault had struggled at Monaco, and 2006 provided the perfect opportunity to win on a challenging track after Alonso took pole during qualifying.
As was hoped, the 37-year-old negotiated the Monaco troubles brilliantly and crossed the chequered flag a healthy 14 seconds ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya in second. This would be the catalyst for another successful season for Renault, and another World Championship victory for Alonso.
#1 2012 European GP (Winner: Fernando Alonso)
The 2012 European GP was a special day for Fernando Alonso. Racing for Ferrari now, the Spaniard came home for the Grand Prix that was held in Valencia but the local fans couldn't possibly have expected a victory for their hero after a disastrous qualifying run that ended with Alonso in 11th place.
With Sebastian Vettel threatening to run away with another victory, Alonso brought out some of that old aggression that made him famous and spectacularly drove past traffic to end up as race leader and eventual winner.
What made the win even more special was the fact that his Ferrari actually ran out of fuel on the victory lap in front of the grandstand filled with shouting Spanish and Ferrari supporters. It was an iconic moment indeed with Alonso holding up his nation's flag as he was eventually escorted away in a safety car. Though he wouldn't win the Championship that year, a win on his home turf would have been an incredibly fulfilling feeling.
