Where Did Fernando Alonso Score His First F1 Win?

There are all sorts of drivers in Formula 1. There are those who are fast and furious. There are those who win races and wither away, and also some who claim multiple titles but despite attaining the highest prize in F1, aren’t yet considered among the all-time greats. But then, not everyone is a certain Fernando Alonso.

Not everyone can claim to have racing credentials like Formula 1’s pure and inimitable fighter: Fernando Alonso.

In his ebb rest some of the sport’s most fancied or coveted achievements. And a lot of his achievements go on to prove that Spain will always cherish its famous son, Fernando Alonso. So why’s that?

Well, not until Carlos Sainz jr.’s win at Britain in 2022 had there been another driver from Spain besides Fernando Alonso with a race win to his name. As on date, Fernando Alonso is the only racing driver from Spain in Motorsport’s top flight to have not one, but two titles to his name.

Moreover, his credentials on the whole warrant respect and regard and shall continue to attract those in times to come.

As on date, Fernando Alonso of Northern Spain’s Oviedo happens to be the only Formula 1 driver to have competed in 20 seasons. Let that sink in. 20 seasons in Motorsport’s highest echelons.

He is currently the only F1 driver on the grid with 350 race starts to his name. He’s, so far, only the second F1 driver to have ever achieved that number. And it’s a mammoth number at that!

Having said that, where did Alonso race away to glory for the first time ever? To put it succinctly, where did Fernando Alonso grab his maiden F1 victory?

Truth be told, despite entering the sport way back in 2001, a time where the likes of Leclerc, Max, Norris, Albon and Stroll, were just basically kids, it took Fernando Alonso two years to register his maiden win.

But two years on from the scene of his F1 debut, circa 2001 Australian Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso recorded a first-ever win at the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix.

This exactly happened on August 24, 2003. If you think about, this was so far back in time where the sport hadn’t yet seen the arrival of two of its most famous multiple world champions, namely- Sebastian Vettel and Sir Lewis Hamilton.

It was so long back in the day that Kimi Raikkonen was still very much a part of F1, then in his third season in F1’s top flight.

But two years back in the day, Fernando Alonso in his fiery Renault, a really quick machine, aced the pole at one of F1’s most loved circuits: the Hungaroring. He’d, in the process of gathering the pole, outpace the likes of Montoya, Raikkonen and the inimitable Schumacher.

No pauses in the life of Fernando Alonso

Eventually, he’d beat Raikkonen to victory by a margin as compelling and swelling as over 16 seconds. Quick right from the start and competing with faultless aggression and seamless focus, Hungary would see the triumph of a one of a kind champion, who in the latter years, would rule various tracks in and around Mainland Europe, such as Barcelona, Valencia, Spa-Francorchamps, Great Britain, Monza and others.

What’s rather interesting and worth noting about this F1 great is that he hardly ever gives up. Despite being at the very top of Motoracing for two decades where he’s had two F1 stints, Alonso is still going strong.

Back then, struggling with McLaren and later, finding some form with Alpine, he’d prove in his very next F1 stint with Aston Martin, that he meant business.

Lest it is forgotten, Alonso bagged 6 podiums in the first 10 races of 2023, the previous F1 world Champioship season. He had turned 42 back then. Top notch, right?

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Written by

Dev Tyagi

Black, Parabolica, Monza, Maranello, Toothpicks, Fast, Ferrari, Sainz, Kimilainen, Bellucci, Barrymore, Shai Hope, du Preez, Summers; not winters, Salzburg, Camel, Jaipur, Tea without sugar, Chivalry, Netaji, Simplicity, Deutschland, Allahabad, Ethan Hunt, not 007, Swades, Rommel and Dravid!

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