A detailed insight into Fernando Alonso’s career in Formula 1 world
Fernando Alonso has been one of the most competitive and consistent drivers of Formula 1 to date as he has been in all sorts of teams and has proved that he is capable of driving under any circumstances.
Alonso became a part of the sport back in 2001 when he joined Minardi, which was one of the back running teams of the sport and stunned the audience by scoring the 10th position using that car during one of the races of the 2001 Formula 1 season.
The Spaniard was unable to secure a single point however but this performance did win the hearts of many after which Renault decided to sign him for the 2003 Formula 1 season.
2003 was a major uplift for Alonso as he secured the first victory and first pole position of his Formula 1 career with Renault after which it became quite clear that he is a star in the making. Renault was a mid-running team of the sport back then and did
not have the capability to score race wins ahead of Ferrari who were in their prime during the early 2000s.
Nevertheless, Alonso finished in 6th place in the drivers’ standings after scoring 55 points. The following year was even better for him as he decided to stay with Renault and this time, he secured 59 points in the drivers’ standings to secure
the 4th place. The two-time Formula 1 world champion secured a single pole and four podium positions this time but the following year was more than a dream come true for him.
The Spaniard won his first Formula 1 world championship in 2005 with Renault after he scored 133 points for his team in the drivers’ standings and proved that he did not become a part of the sport just to drive for the mid-running or back running teams.
The team’s boss Flavio Briatore even stated that Alonso played a major role in the team’s car development process and that he is one of a kind. Briatore, who has also managed drivers like Mark Webber and Michael Schumacher, claims that the Spaniard is extremely
talented and he still has a long way to go.
The 2006 Formula 1 season was a repeat of 2005 as Alonso secured his second world championship with Renault and defeated Michael Schumacher in his prime.
Schumacher drove for Ferrari back then and these two defeats were pretty much enough for him as he decided to retire from Formula 1 after the 2006 Formula 1 season.
Alonso decided to join his dream team McLaren in 2007 and that year was a rough patch for him as he was unable to develop a good relationship with the team. He finished in 2nd place in the drivers’ standings but had to leave the team in 2008.
This was a heartbreaking moment in the Spaniard’s career as he always dreamt of driving for the British team since he was a little kid. He claims that the team preferred Lewis Hamilton over him therefore he left them.
He was forced to join Renault for another two years which were quite disappointing for him as he was unable to score good results for the team.
Alonso then joined Ferrari in 2010 and after a very tough season, finished in 2nd place in the standings after losing his drivers’ standings lead to Sebastian Vettel at the final race of the season.
With the 2011 Formula 1 season underway, it seems that he is not looking as strong as he was in 2010 as the team did not produce a very reliable car. They are still improving their performance with every passing race and after securing their first victory
at the 2011 British Grand Prix, they are now hoping for even more which might help them secure at least the drivers’ title. Let’s see if that happens.
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