Formula 1
Alonso celebrates 50th GP at Suzuka
Fernando Alonso reaches a milestone this weekend, starting his fiftieth Grand Prix. Since his debut at the wheel of a Minardi in 2001, the young man from Oviedo has enjoyed a meteoric F1 rise, becoming the youngest ever F1 poleman, the youngest ...
Edited: Oct 8, 2004, 12:35 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Fernando Alonso reaches a milestone this weekend, starting his fiftieth Grand Prix. Since his debut at the wheel of a Minardi in 2001, the young man from Oviedo has enjoyed a meteoric F1 rise, becoming the youngest ever F1 poleman, the youngest driver to set fastest lap and the youngest Grand Prix winner in history, after his dominant 2003 win in Hungary. To mark the event, Fernando answered questions about his career so far.
Fernando Alonso.
Photo by Brousseau Photo.
Q: Fernando, you made your debut in the 2001 Australian GP. What do you remember from that first race?
Fernando Alonso: My strongest memory is when I left the pit-lane for the first time in an F1 car, on the Friday. It was a brand new car for me and I had never tested during the winter because of the team's financial restraints. I was thrown in at the deep end, and there was a lot to learn in a short time. But I knew then that I was doing what I had dreamed of. It was a very special time for me.
Q: In your forty-nine Grands Prix, you have claimed a number of records: what emotions does that bring?
FA: To be honest, I never thought I would be able to achieve so much in such a short space of time. It is a nice feeling to have those records but when you are on the track, they don't count for anything. I am not thinking about the records I have got already when I am in the car. My focus is 100% on getting more results like them as soon as I can!
Q: What result are you most proud of?
FA: My second place at Barcelona in 2003. My win was a great achievement, but I think this was even better. To be on the podium at my home race, with all the team and also all the Spanish crowd cheering and waving their flags, it was an unforgettable experience and started even on the slowing-down lap. I felt very proud and humble at that moment.
Q: And which mistake do you wish you had never made?
FA: The error on my qualifying lap in Malaysia earlier this year. I was pushing very hard, I had set two good sectors and then I lost the back end in the middle of the most difficult corner on the circuit. I felt terrible after that one, because we had looked quite competitive until then, and our weekend never really recovered.
Q: How do you want to celebrate your fiftieth race?
FA: Well, a podium in Suzuka would be a good start!
-renault-
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Silverstone talks still ongoing
Next article Japanese GP: McLaren preview
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Fernando Alonso
F1 driver contracts: How long is each driver tied down for?
Formula 1
Formula 1 8 h
F1 driver contracts: How long is each driver tied down for?
Who slept worst last night: Fernando Alonso
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
Who slept worst last night: Fernando Alonso
More from
Minardi
Alpine may be F1’s best ‘worst team’ of all time
Formula 1
Formula 1
Alpine may be F1’s best ‘worst team’ of all time
Alonso showed championship credentials in first F1 race - ex-Minardi boss
Formula 1
Formula 1
Saudi Arabian GP
Alonso showed championship credentials in first F1 race - ex-Minardi boss
Top 10 Minardi F1 drivers ranked: Alonso, Webber, Badoer and more
Formula 1
Formula 1
Top 10 Minardi F1 drivers ranked: Alonso, Webber, Badoer and more
Latest news
“I was getting beat up” – How Daniel Ricciardo burned out on ‘humiliating’ F1 return
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1 37 min
“I was getting beat up” – How Daniel Ricciardo burned out on ‘humiliating’ F1 return
Myers Riley Motorsports adds Andretti alongside returning Fraga for 2027 IMSA GTD campaign
IMSA
IMSA IMSA 1 h
Myers Riley Motorsports adds Andretti alongside returning Fraga for 2027 IMSA GTD campaign
Las Vegas GP reveals neon sign-inspired trophy design
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Las Vegas GP
1 h
Las Vegas GP reveals neon sign-inspired trophy design
Feature
Discover prime content
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1970s
Formula 1
By Kevin Turner
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1970s
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe