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With a career spanning more than 21 years, Formula 1 veteran Fernando Alonso is undoubtedly one of the best drivers of modern times. The Asturian, who in his early career broke numerous records of precocity in his time, has become a living legend of Formula 1.
The Spaniard has shown on numerous occasions that he is not just another driver. He won the 2005 and 2006 championships, and only 8 points separate him from winning 3 more titles. However, much of his career has been marked by uncompetitive cars that have not allowed him to fight for championships, so the statistics do not do him justice.
The 2022 Singapore Grand Prix was his 350th Formula 1 start, making him the most experienced driver in the history of the category. After so many years and so many races, the Spaniard has left us with some magnificent and unforgettable moments, so, without further ado, these are the best moments of Fernando Alonso in Formula 1.
1. Youngest F1 Race Winner – 2003 Hungarian GP
Fernando Alonso made his Formula 1 debut in 2001, along with Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya, who would be some of the biggest stars of the category for years to come.
Alonso was a reserve driver in 2002, but he became an official driver again with Renault in 2003, which was on the rise in Formula 1, and the Spaniard soon triumphed in the category, breaking several records, such as being the youngest pole sitter and podium winner in history at the time.
On August 24, 2003, Alonso took his first victory in the Hungarian GP after a fantastic drive, thus becoming, at 22 years and 26 days, the youngest F1 GP winner in history, beating Bruce McLaren\’s previous record.
The Spaniard held this record until it was broken by Sebastian Vettel at the 2008 Italian GP. During 2003, Alonso established himself as one of the great promises of the category, which would materialize in the following seasons.
2. Iconic Battle With Schumacher – 2005 San Marino GP
In 2005, Renault seemed to have built a car as fast as Ferrari, who had won 5 championships in a row with the great Michael Schumacher. Alonso arrived at the fourth round of the championship, the San Marino GP, as the championship leader, having achieved 2 wins in 3 races, although Ferrari was still the favorite.
The Spaniard qualified second, behind Kimi Raikkonen, while seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher could only qualify thirteenth after a mistake on Saturday, although he was still a threat for victory.
Alonso was second in the race when on lap 9, Raikkonen retired due to a technical problem, taking the lead. The Spaniard remained in the lead as the laps went by while Schumacher was climbing positions.
Schumacher climbed to second place, and during the closing stages of the race, he followed Alonso closely, trying to overtake him on numerous occasions, but the Spaniard\’s relentless defense prevented him from doing so. This iconic battle and victory put Alonso on the level of the greats, marking the generational handover.
3. Incredible Overtake At 130R – 2005 Japanese GP
One of the highlights of the 2005 season was Alonso\’s overtaking of Michael Schumacher at Suzuka. The German and the Spaniard qualified fourteenth and sixteenth, respectively, after a wet qualifying that had shaken up the grid.
Both started a remarkable comeback early in the race, and by lap 20, Alonso was attempting to overtake Schumacher for the fifth position. Arriving at Turn 15, the 130 R, which is Suzuka\’s fastest corner and one of the most challenging of the season, the Spaniard took advantage of the Ferrari\’s slipstream and dived into the corner on the outside, completing an extraordinary overtake.
The difficulty of the 130 R lies in the fact that you can only take it flat out from the apex. Otherwise, you have to lift your foot, or you will end up crashing into the barriers at a very high speed. Alonso himself, after the race, confessed that he had risked too much.
4. Youngest F1 World Champion – 2005 Brazilian GP
At the 2005 Brazilian Grand Prix, with two rounds remaining in the season, Fernando Alonso secured his first world championship over Kimi Raikkonen after a third-place finish.
Both the Spaniard and the Finn had six wins during the season, but Alonso had been more consistent and had fewer retirements (the Finn had many reliability problems).
Thus, the Spaniard became, at the age of 24 years and 58 days, the youngest F1 world champion in history so far, beating the record that Fittipaldi had held since 1972. The record was later broken by Lewis Hamilton in 2008 and then by Sebastian Vettel in 2010.
Alonso also became the first and, to date, only Spaniard to win a Formula 1 championship. After the euphoric celebrations in Brazil, Renault was proclaimed world constructors\’ champion in the season finale in China.
5. Home Win As Reigning World Champion – 2006 Spanish GP
After winning the championship in 2005, Fernando Alonso arrived at the sixth round of the 2006 championship, the Spanish Grand Prix, leading the championship, having taken 2 victories and 3-second places.
Alonso took pole position at the Montmeló circuit, and on Sunday, he led the race from start to finish, taking victory at home in front of all his fans and moving closer to his second title.
6. Masterful Win In Wet – 2007 European GP
The 2007 European Grand Prix, held at the Nürburgring, was marked by rain from start to finish. Alonso, who, after winning his two world championships with Renault in 2005 and 2006, signed for McLaren for 2007, was fighting all season against his teammate Lewis Hamilton and the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen.
In qualifying, Raikkonen took the pole position, while Alonso was second, and the other Ferrari, Felipe Massa, was third. During the race, which started with rain, there were many accidents that left many drivers out, leading to a red flag after the first few laps.
After the race restarted, Alonso fought with Massa for the lead. It stopped raining, and with the drying conditions, the Ferrari was much faster than the McLaren. However, with 8 laps to go, it started raining again, and Alonso was much faster than Massa, chasing him down and trying to overtake him.
Finally, on lap 56, with 4 laps to go, Alonso tried to overtake on the outside of the chicane and materialized it on the exit on the inside, touching Massa twice, which provoked an argument between the two drivers after the race. After that, the Spaniard sealed his masterful victory, one to remember.
7. Debut Victory With Ferrari – 2010 Bahrain GP
After two uncompetitive seasons with Renault, Alonso signed for Ferrari in 2010 in search of the long-awaited third title. Ferrari is the most famous and successful team in the history of Formula 1, so there were high expectations about his move to red.
The Spaniard\’s first race with the Prancing Horse could not have been better. Alonso qualified third, behind the Red Bull of Sebastian Vettel and the other Ferrari, Felipe Massa. On Sunday, however, Alonso, as usual, made a great start, overtaking Massa and moving into second place behind Vettel.
Vettel dominated most of the race, while Alonso remained second, but with 15 laps to go, the German suffered a spark plug failure that caused him to lose pace, so Ferrari took advantage of this and completed a great one-two.
The Spaniard became the sixth driver to win on his debut with Ferrari and celebrated in style with the team.
8. Big Win Under Pressure – 2010 Singapore GP
The Singapore Grand Prix was the fifteenth round of the 2010 Formula 1 season, and the championship was more intense than ever, with five contenders fighting for the title: Mark Webber (Red Bull), Jenson Button (McLaren), Lewis Hamilton (McLaren), Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) and Fernando Alonso (Ferrari).
Mark Webber led the Championship with 187 points, followed by Hamilton with 182 points, Alonso with 166, Button with 165, and Vettel with 163, so they were all very close, being a key race for the championship, as anyone could take the lead with a victory.
On Saturday, Alonso qualified first, followed by Vettel and Hamilton. In the race, the German tried to overtake the Spaniard at the start, but Alonso protected his position very well and held the lead for most of the race.
During the closing stages of the race, Vettel put enormous pressure on Alonso, who did not break under pressure and took the victory, which was key for the championship.
9. Brilliant Start From P4 To P1 – 2011 Spanish GP
Alonso is known for his great starts, in which he usually wins positions, both for his great reaction when the lights go out and for his good reflexes and positioning.
His possibly best start in Formula 1 was during the 2011 Spanish Grand Prix. The Spaniard started fourth, behind the Red Bulls of Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel and the McLaren of Lewis Hamilton.
On Sunday, Alonso made a perfect start, starting better than Hamilton and taking advantage of the slipstreaming of the Red Bulls to run down the inside and exit the first corner in the first position. Something simply magnificent.
10. Great Win Outperforming His Car – 2012 Malaysian GP
The Malaysian Grand Prix was known for its changeable conditions, as it could be sunny and suddenly it would rain heavily, or vice versa. During the 2012 season, Alonso was all time outperforming his car to fight with the Red Bulls, who were far superior, as he demonstrated in the Malaysian GP.
In qualifying, which was in dry conditions, Alonso was eighth. However, in the race, which started in a drizzle, the Spaniard went from eighth to fifth on the first lap. After several laps, the rain intensified, leading to a red flag, and the race resumed an hour later.
The restart of the race started with all drivers on full wet tires, but the track gradually dried up, and everyone made a pit stop to put on intermediates. The Sauber of Sergio Perez was leading, and while the track was drying up, Alonso was chasing him, getting closer and closer.
The Spaniard switched to dry tires one lap before Perez and, in a few laps, overtook him. The Mexican followed closely but eventually made a mistake, and Alonso crossed the finish line first with a car that did not belong in those positions.
11. Epic Win At Home – 2012 European GP
No one would have predicted the outcome of the 2012 European GP, held at the Valencia Street Circuit, after watching qualifying. Fernando Alonso qualified eleventh, making it very difficult for him to reach the podium positions due to the narrowness of the Valencia circuit, where it is very difficult to overtake.
On Sunday, after the start, Sebastian Vettel secured the lead, pulling away from the rest of the grid. Meanwhile, Alonso made his way through the middle of the field, completing one overtake after another. By lap 12, the Spaniard was already seventh.
Alonso was able to climb some more positions due to some incidents of the rivals, such as a slow pit stop by Hamilton during the Safety Car period, which put him in the third position. After the Safety Car, he overtook Romain Grosjean\’s Lotus to take second place and then took the lead after Vettel retired due to a mechanical problem.
Thus, Alonso achieved his twenty-ninth victory in Formula 1 and returned to lead the championship. This victory demonstrated his enormous talent after a great comeback at home, and as Alonso himself described afterward, it was one of the most emotional victories of his career.
12. Last Win So Far – 2013 Spanish GP
The 2013 season was dominated from start to finish by Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull, leaving no options to the rivals. Although Alonso tried, his Ferrari was not up to the task. For the Spanish GP, Alonso qualified fifth, aiming for a podium finish in the race.
In the race, Alonso soon moved into third position thanks to one of his usual great starts, completing two memorable passes on Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton around the outside of Turn 3.
In that race, there was a great degradation of tires, and Ferrari\’s strategy was key. The Prancing Horse opted to make 4 stops instead of 3 like the rest of the teams, so Alonso had to make an extra push to make up for the time lost in the extra stop.
On lap 10, the Spaniard undercut Vettel and subsequently passed Nico Rosberg to take the lead, where he remained for the entire race, thus materializing an emotional victory at home, in front of all his fans, and which is his last so far, something no one would have thought back in 2013.
13. Incredible Podium With Mediocre Car – 2014 Hungarian GP
After 4 seasons at Ferrari without winning the title, there were a lot of expectations placed on Ferrari for 2014 with the big regulatory changes that were in place for that season, with the introduction of the V6 turbo engines. However, Ferrari not only failed to succeed but built a rather mediocre car, which struggled in the midfield.
The best result of the season occurred at the Hungarian GP. Alonso qualified fifth, a position he hoped to maintain in the race. On Sunday, the race started in the wet, with intermediate tires, and soon Alonso was fourth and then third, as the rain stopped and the track gradually dried up.
After several accidents and a safety car, Alonso found himself in the first position during the closing stages of the race, with the far superior Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull\’s Daniel Ricciardo following closely behind.
Ricciardo eventually overtook Hamilton and Alonso, and the Spaniard was fending off Hamilton for the last two laps, finishing in a strong second place with a car far inferior to the frontrunners.
14. Comeback On the Streets Of Baku – 2018 Azerbaijan GP
After leaving Ferrari, Alonso returned to McLaren, which experienced some very dark years with Honda\’s return to Formula 1, which forced them to change engines again, using Renault in 2018 and 2019. For the 2018 Azerbaijan GP, held at the Baku Street Circuit, Alonso qualified thirteenth and was hoping to get into the points zone on Sunday.
However, his hopes were dashed early in the race when a collision on the first lap caused him to get a puncture in both right tires, bringing the car to the pits with 2 tires in an unbelievable manner, almost unable to turn and suffering extensive damage to the floor of the car that would cause him to lose half a second per lap.
After changing tires and front wing, and thanks to a Safety Car, Alonso joined the rest of the pack and gradually made his way through the narrow streets of Baku, completing overtake after overtake to finish in an incredible seventh position.
The Spaniard commented after the race that it was probably the best race of his career.
15. Podium after 7 years of drought – 2021 Qatar GP
After several dark years with uncompetitive McLarens, Alonso retired from Formula 1 for 2 years and returned in 2021 with Alpine (formerly Renault), looking to get back to the top. Alpine\’s cars, however, were not up to the task, as they could only fight in the midfield, despite getting a win by Esteban Ocon in changing conditions after the entire grid was shaken up.
For the Qatar GP, Alonso qualified in a great fifth position, so on Sunday, he was hoping to score some good points. After a great start, the Spaniard placed second, and a few laps later, he was overtaken by the more superior Red Bull of Max Verstappen.
Alonso stayed in the third position for most of the race, making the most of his car and withstanding the pressure from the frontrunners, especially Sergio Perez\’s Red Bull during the final laps, taking a fantastic podium finish 7 years after his last one, achieved at the 2014 Hungarian GP.
16. Within The Points With A Wrecked Car – 2022 United States GP
Alonso completed one of the best races of his racing career at the 2022 U.S. Grand Prix after almost having to retire. The Spaniard qualified in the ninth position and was looking to score good points on Sunday. Surprisingly, Alonso lost a few positions after the start, dropping to twelfth.
After that, he gradually gained positions, eventually climbing up to the seventh position. However, on lap 22, he came into contact with Lance Stroll as he was about to overtake him on the back straight. The Canadian suffered a flat left rear tire that sent him into the wall, causing him to retire.
On the other hand, Alonso\’s car lifted upwards and went on two wheels for a few seconds until it landed against the barriers. Incredibly, the Spaniard could continue the race, albeit with visible damage to his car. After changing the front wing and a Safety Car, he rejoined the race in the fifteenth position, throwing away all the work previously done.
Despite his car falling apart, Alonso completed a fantastic comeback, climbing back to the seventh position in one of the best drives ever. After the race, the stewards gave him a 30-second penalty for rejoining the race with an unsafe car, which dropped him to fifteenth place, but they rectified it shortly after that, thus retaining seventh place.
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Conclusion
Fernando Alonso is one of the most extraordinary drivers in recent times and in history, proving on numerous occasions that he is one of those few special drivers who have more than others.
Throughout his long racing career, the Spaniard has demonstrated great strength and skill behind the wheel, leaving a great legacy that will be difficult to forget, especially for those who have seen him race.
