2005 and the making of a legend

Written by Kavi Khandelwal

Fernando Alonso winning his first World Drivers’ Championship | Credit: Formula One

20 years ago to the date, a 24-year-old Spanish driver clinched the World Drivers’ Championship at Interlagos and shattered a 33-year-old record for the youngest Drivers’ Champion in Formula One. 

This driver from Oviedo, Spain drove a race of calculated precisions and no reckless heroics as he finished in third place, which was more than enough for him to taste the success of his first championship.

Coming in fourth was the reigning champion, Michael Schumacher. The seven-time World Champion held the sport in his iron grip for half a decade before it was symbolically deposed in 2005. It was the first time since 1999 that the championship would not be for Schumacher or Ferrari, and the rosso corsa reign was, at last, over.

This historic shift came due to a regulatory change. The new rules for 2005 stated that no engines should last two race weekends and no tyres were to be changed during a race. This highly disrupted Ferrari’s dominance as it changed the Ferrari-Bridgestone partnership. The philosophy of this partnership was built around short and aggressive stints in every race.

In contrast, the Renault R25 and the Michelin tyres were built on reliability, as they suffered no mechanical failures all season. This victory was a mix of the brilliance of the driver and the team’s navigation of a new era, and it could be achieved by none other than Fernando Alonso.

Changing of the guard

Fernando Alonso won the San Marino Grand Prix with title rival, Michael Schumacher coming in second | Credit: Formula One

The San Marino Grand Prix at Imola was a defining battle. For 12 laps, Alonso defended his lead from Schumacher, despite the Ferrari being especially quick. The Spaniard never put a wheel wrong and withstood the immense pressure from the reigning champion, crossing the line just two-tenths of a second ahead of his rival.

This win was hailed as the symbolic “changing of the guard” to signify that a new generation had arrived. The cultural phenomenon in Spain experienced a great shift as they began to call this era as “Alonsomania.”

Before Alonso, Spain was a motorcycle racing country only with patchy crowds for F1. He changed the status quo during his quest for the title, as it transformed the sport into a national obsession with television audiences coming to over 10 million.

After Alonso clinched the title, thousands of his fans went to the streets of Oviedo to celebrate the first Spanish F1 champion. This traditional shake inspired the new generation of Spanish talent, including Carlos Sainz Jr.

Race of resilience

Paradoxically, Alonso’s legend is defined with equal failures and successes. After securing a second consecutive title in 2006, his career became a saga of ‘what ifs’ with agonising near-misses. However, it produced a reputation as a fighter who extracted extraordinary performances from imperfect machinery. 

Fernando Alonso has 11 wins with Ferrari | Credit: Formula One

The five years that Alonso spent at Ferrari were the crucible in which his reputation was forged. He finished as the championship runner-up three times, twice taking the title to the last race. In 2010 and 2012, he battled Sebastian Vettel and the vastly superior Red Bull to the end, losing the championship by four and three points respectively. 

It was widely regarded as two of the greatest individual seasons by any driver in the sport’s history where talent transcended the quality of his machinery.

However, after the deep frustration of the ill-fated McLaren-Honda project and the two-year-sabbatical where Alonso competed in other motorsports like Indianapolis 500, Le Mans 24 Hours and Dakar Rally, he returned to the sport with Alpine in 2021, then moved to Aston Martin in 2023. 

With six podiums in the first eight races of the 2023 season, Alonso proved that his exceptional racecraft and raw motivation remains undiminished by the passage of time.

The constant in the change

Fernando Alonso [left], Max Verstappen [centre] and Lewis Hamilton [right] on the podium at the 2023 Canadian Grand Prix | Credit: Formula One

Alonso has been a time-bending constant in an ever-changing sport. His career has become a bridge between eras, as he is the only driver who fought for victories against Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. His remarkable longevity has earned him the utmost respect throughout the paddock.

Alonso’s qualities embody the purest essence of a racing driver. He likens his mentality to be loyal, honourable and courageous, building on discipline and self confidence. He once said: “My biggest fear is not doing well, not delivering, not winning.”

20 years after that decisive afternoon in Brazil, Alonso’s fire still burns brighter than ever. He has the same raw hunger that pushed his 24-year-old self to the summit of motorsport.

His first World Drivers’ Championship not only made him a champion, but it made him a legend. It gave F1 a two-decade long demonstration of what it means to be a true racer.