In the 2013 Chinese Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso put on a show with a remarkable performance, probably one amongst his best ever in Formula 1.
How the race unfolded
Starting from third on the grid, the Spaniard exploited his well-known qualities when the five red lights went out, getting the better of Kimi Raikkonen’s Lotus in the first few metres of the race.
On lap 4 he took the lead of the race by passing Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes, and then managed the gap to second place until the first pit stop.
Ferrari chose a different strategy compared to the other team, thereby forcing Alonso to get many moves in order to get back at the very front.
Over the course of the GP he overtook Button (on lap 21), Hulkenberg (on lap 26) and three-time reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel (twice, on laps 29 and 42), going on to take a dominant and much deserved victory.
Fernando Alonso savagely destroys the competition with an iconic team radio
There is one radio communication, or rather two, that perfectly sums up Fernando’s performance that Sunday.
On lap 47, Andrea Stella – his race engineer at the time – told him: “Fernando, you’re gaining three to four tenths per sector compared to everyone else, we don’t need to push”. The driver’s response was epic: “I’m not pushing”; he said right after setting the fastest lap of the grand prix.
A Sunday full of celebration for the two-time World Champion and his fans, was topped off by a new communication from the pit wall: “Phenomenal. Great weekend, great weekend. There was a lot of pressure, but great weekend. [We were, ed] Ordered, calm, that’s our strength. You deserve this success Fer, congratulations from all of us and congratulations to the team”, exclaimed the engineer, thrilled by what he had just seen.
Fernando Alonso’s victory for Ferrari in 2013 still stands as the last triumph in China for both sides. Can one of them, now competing against each other, update this statistic this weekend? We’ll just have to wait and see.
