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Alpine F1 driver Fernando Alonso has claimed an F1 podium after seven years and 105 races. The Spaniard claimed third place in the inaugural Qatar Grand Prix, at the Losail International Circuit, after maintaining competitive form all weekend long. His last podium finish was at the 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix. The double world champion also won the fan vote for "Driver of the Day".
Speaking in parc ferme after the race, Fernando Alonso said:
“It's been seven years but finally we got there [a podium finish]! I'm so happy for the team. The team were excellent and the reliability of the car is great at the moment. I've waited so long for this and I'm so happy!”
Fernando Alonso, who qualified fifth on the grid, started the race in third place after Valtteri Bottas and Max Verstappen were reprimanded with three and five-place grid penalties respectively.
From third on the grid, the Spaniard jumped into second place on the opening lap of the race. Dropping to seventh after a pitstop, the he surged back to third, managing his tires perfectly throughout the race. Nicknamed the "Magician", Fernando Alonso's podium in Qatar was one of F1's most-awaited.
Known to be the ultimate opportunist on the grid, Fernando Alonso left no stone unturned to secure his podium. Despite a spate of punctures in the race, the double world champion managed to stay off the kerbs and keep Red Bull F1's Sergio Perez at bay.
Fernando Alonso’s last podium in Hungary was with Ferrari, and he had shared it with then-Red Bull F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo and Mercedes F1's Lewis Hamilton. Accompanied on the podium again by a Mercedes and Red Bull F1 driver, the only changes to the current podium were him being in Alpine overalls and Max Verstappen representing the Milton Keynes team instead of Ricciardo.
Fernando Alonso leads tally for maximum number of overtakes in 2021
An interesting statistic Fernando Alonso has this season is the maximum number of overtakes - a total of 115 in the last 19 races. Sebastian Vettel and former team-mate Kimi Raikkonen share the second-most overtakes, with 114 each.
Fernando Alonso is 10th in the drivers' standings with a total of 77 points while Alpine F1 team are fifth in the constructors' championship with 137 points.
