With the recent news that Alonso will be returning to F1 taking Daniel Ricciardo’s empty seat at Renault. We look back at 5 of Fernando’s most memorable moments from the last 18 years.
Becoming the Youngest World Champion
Fernando and Renault won the 2005 world championship ending the 5 year Schumacher Ferrari domination. While Renault didn't have the fastest car that year, a mixture of reliability and consistency handed Alonso his first title, winning 7 races and winning the season with 2 rounds to spare. At just 24 years and 58 days, this made Fernando the youngest ever world champion, a record that would stand until 2008 when Lewis Hamilton stole the title from Filipe Massa.
2012 Home Win
Every driver wants to win on their home turf and Fernando did just that in spectacular fashion back in 2012. After missing out on the win to Pastor Maldonado (who saw that coming?) in the Spanish GP, Alonso would have another chance at the European GP held on the streets of Valencia.
Despite starting the race mid-way down the field in P11, Alonso drove a fantastic race combining ruthless overtaking, masterful strategy, and tyre management to take an unlikely win. His victory lap with the Spanish flag had the home crowd in tears and capped of one off the best races in his career.
That 130R Overtake
The 2005 Japanese GP saw one of the most breath-taking overtaking moves to date! Having only been in F1 for 4 years, the young Alonso pulled alongside the 7 time world champion Michael Schumacher and somehow went around the Germans Ferrari at Suzuka's 130R in one of the best passing moves in F1 history.
Sunbathing
Fernando took a gamble in 2015 joining the Honda powered McLaren. The car suffered engine failure, lack of power and constant retirements throughout the 2015 season with Alonso's scoring just 11 points. After his McLaren broke down in qualifying before he was able to set a time, Alonso sat in a deckchair next to his stricken car and had a nice relaxing sunbathe while the rest of the grid continued with qualifying.
Crashgate
One of the most infamous moments of Alonso's career, dubbed "crashgate" by the media. On lap 14 of the 2008 Singapore GP Alonso's Renault teammate Nelson Piquet Jr crashed into the wall at turn 17 prompting the safety car to come out. As the rest of the field pitted under the safety car period Alonso was gifted the race lead having pitted a few laps earlier.
Alonso went on the win the race having started from 15th. After being dropped by Renault after the 2009 Hungarian GP, Piquet claimed that he had been ordered by the team to crash deliberately to improve the race for Alonso.
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