FERNANDO Alonso was almost overwhelmed as he celebrated a historic Hungarian Grand Prix.
First Spaniard to win a Formula One race, youngest winner of a grand prix, first win for Renault in 20 years . . . and he lapped Ferrari's five-time world champion Michael Schumacher for good measure.
"Too many things for one day for me at the moment," he said.
"The weekend was fantastic, pole position and now the victory for me is a dream come true," he added, soaked in winner's champagne.
"I'm 22 years old and I have my first victory in my pocket, so I hope I can have a long career in Formula One with more victories."
The Spaniard romped away with the race on Sunday night, helped by Australian Mark Webber whose Jaguar surged into second place at the start and then held up the faster cars.
Webber finished sixth after starting from third on the grid.
"It was a phenomenal race for us," Webber said.
"I really enjoyed that race, but it was hard -- hard on the car, hard on the tyres and hard on the driver, but what a reward at the end of it.
"We didn't expect to be that strong in the race, to be honest, and I just really, really enjoyed myself out there."
Alonso, who had begun alongside Williams' Ralf Schumacher, could scarcely believe his luck as he pulled away, gaining more than a second a lap.
"At the beginning, for the first two or three laps, I had Mark Webber in the mirror and then, in the eighth or ninth lap, I asked my team, 'Where are the others?'," he said.
"They told me, '15 seconds away' and I thought, 'Oh my God, I am very fast now'."
Alonso, 22 on July 29, replaced the late New Zealander Bruce McLaren as the youngest GP winner.
He had done what he said he would do in his first season with Renault.
After starting the Malaysian Grand Prix on pole, and becoming the youngest driver to finish on the podium and lead a race, Alonso had said then that he wanted to become the youngest winner of a race and youngest champion.
He now has a cushion of three years for the latter aim -- Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi taking his first title at the age of 25 -- but the Spaniard turned his thoughts in that direction anyway.
"The next step will be to fight for the world championship, like these guys, as soon as possible," he said, joined on the podium by title contenders Kimi Raikkonen, of McLaren, and Williams' Juan Pablo Montoya.
Few had doubted Alonso was a winner in waiting, with only his Renault's lack of horsepower holding him back.
The Hungaroring proved the perfect opportunity, the second slowest circuit on the calendar suiting his car's well-balanced chassis.
The world title fight is intense with Michael Schumacher now on 72, having gained only one point from eighth place in Hungary, Montoya on 71 and Raikkonen 70 with three races remaining.
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,7065150%255E11088,00.html
First Spaniard to win a Formula One race, youngest winner of a grand prix, first win for Renault in 20 years . . . and he lapped Ferrari's five-time world champion Michael Schumacher for good measure.
"Too many things for one day for me at the moment," he said.
"The weekend was fantastic, pole position and now the victory for me is a dream come true," he added, soaked in winner's champagne.
"I'm 22 years old and I have my first victory in my pocket, so I hope I can have a long career in Formula One with more victories."
The Spaniard romped away with the race on Sunday night, helped by Australian Mark Webber whose Jaguar surged into second place at the start and then held up the faster cars.
Webber finished sixth after starting from third on the grid.
"It was a phenomenal race for us," Webber said.
"I really enjoyed that race, but it was hard -- hard on the car, hard on the tyres and hard on the driver, but what a reward at the end of it.
"We didn't expect to be that strong in the race, to be honest, and I just really, really enjoyed myself out there."
Alonso, who had begun alongside Williams' Ralf Schumacher, could scarcely believe his luck as he pulled away, gaining more than a second a lap.
"At the beginning, for the first two or three laps, I had Mark Webber in the mirror and then, in the eighth or ninth lap, I asked my team, 'Where are the others?'," he said.
"They told me, '15 seconds away' and I thought, 'Oh my God, I am very fast now'."
Alonso, 22 on July 29, replaced the late New Zealander Bruce McLaren as the youngest GP winner.
He had done what he said he would do in his first season with Renault.
After starting the Malaysian Grand Prix on pole, and becoming the youngest driver to finish on the podium and lead a race, Alonso had said then that he wanted to become the youngest winner of a race and youngest champion.
He now has a cushion of three years for the latter aim -- Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi taking his first title at the age of 25 -- but the Spaniard turned his thoughts in that direction anyway.
"The next step will be to fight for the world championship, like these guys, as soon as possible," he said, joined on the podium by title contenders Kimi Raikkonen, of McLaren, and Williams' Juan Pablo Montoya.
Few had doubted Alonso was a winner in waiting, with only his Renault's lack of horsepower holding him back.
The Hungaroring proved the perfect opportunity, the second slowest circuit on the calendar suiting his car's well-balanced chassis.
The world title fight is intense with Michael Schumacher now on 72, having gained only one point from eighth place in Hungary, Montoya on 71 and Raikkonen 70 with three races remaining.
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,7065150%255E11088,00.html
