Alonso awarded Bandini trophy

Fernando Alonso and Flavio Briatore were recipients of awards at last night's Lorenzo Bandini Trophy ceremony in Brisighella.

Lorenzo Bandini is not a household name. The Italian, killed during the 1967 Monaco Grand Prix at the wheel of his Ferrari, won just one Grand Prix, the first ever Austrian GP held in 1964 at Zeltweg. His career included other notable triumphs, including a win in the Targa Florio forty years ago, but his was a career cut down before its prime -- a shooting star that disappeared before it could burn at its brightest.

For that reason, his hometown of Brisighella has awarded since 1992 the Lorenzo Bandini Trophy, to the most promising young driver in Formula 1. In 2005, Fernando Alonso was the recipient of the award, which was presented yesterday evening in a ceremony that included an audience composed of sportsmen, media and political figures.

"This is a fantastic honour for me," said Fernando. "The Bandini trophy is a prestigious award, and it special for me to be recognised by the Italian fans and jury. I would to thank them all for choosing me to receive this prize."

Fernando was not alone from the Renault F1 Team yesterday evening, as Flavio Briatore also received the Gold Medal of the Emilia-Romagna region. Preceded in this by such luminaries as former World Champion Niki Lauda, Flavio collected the award proudly in a season where his team currently sits atop the World Championship standings.

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