Alonso's chaotic debut in Formula 1

Although he was at the Benetton Renault presentation in 2001, where he signed at the request of Flavio Briatore , Fernando Alonso was loaned to Minardi, a team with which he would play his first season in Formula 1.

His first race was at the age of 19, making him the third youngest (at that time) in history to make his debut. His premiere took place the same weekend as that of Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya, in addition to the less remembered Enrique Bernoldi, but the Spanish debut was the most complicated.

And in 2019, when asked what advice he would give to the drivers who were promoted to the top flight that year ( George Russell, Alex Albon and Lando Norris ), Fernando said he couldn’t say much, and described how his first kilometers were.

“My advice probably wouldn’t be very helpful because my start was so different,” he recalled. “My debut was with Minardi in 2001, and we couldn’t test the car before Australia. The team was going out of business, it was bankrupt, and Paul Stoddart came in at the last minute and took the car to Australia.

“We studied the wheel on the Wednesday and Thursday of the grand prix, and I remember I came out of the pitlane in the first free practice and there was a queue of cars at the end of the pit lane, because it was still a red light. And I almost crashed with them, because I couldn’t find the ‘neutral’ button.

“That was not the perfect start, the perfect debut!” Explained the one who would eventually become a two-time Formula 1 world champion after his time with Renault, a team to which he returned in 2021 for a third adventure in Enstone.

With the slowest car on the grid, the Spaniard, who had been 19th in qualifying for that 2001 Australian GP, beating his teammate, a Prost and a Jaguar, survived a race full of dropouts. He was 12th (ahead of a Benetton), completing a good debut whose position would only improve in two more races throughout that year.

The 2001 Formula 1 Australian GP, in pictures

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Kimi Raikkonen, Sauber C20, Juan Pablo Montoya, Williams, Fernando Alonso, Minardi and Enrique Bernoldi, Arrows

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Photo by: Sutton Motorsport Images

Fernando Alonso, Minardi inicios

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Photo de: Rainer W. Schlegelmilch

Fernando Alonso

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Photo from: Brousseau Photo

Flinders Street Station in the city of Melbourne

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Photo By: Sutton Motorsport Images

Michael Schumacher, Ferrari F2001

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Foto de: ENG Images

Kimi Raikkonen, Sauber C20

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Photo by: LAT Images

David Coulthard, Michael Schumacher y Rubens Barrichello

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Foto de: Ferrari Media Center

Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello after a tragic race

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Photo by: Ferrari Media Center

An excellent weekend for a happy Peter Sauber

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Photo by: Red Bull Sauber Petronas

Peter Sauber and his two boys: Nick Heidfeld and Kimi Raikkonen

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Photo by: Red Bull Sauber Petronas

The start: Michael Schumacher is already in front and some tough battles behind

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Photo Credit: BMW AG

Ralf Schumacher and Heinz-Harald Frentzen

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Photo de: BMW AG

Ralf Schumacher and Jacques Villeneuve before the terrible accident

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Photo Credit: BMW AG

The Ferrari Team between pit stops

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Photo by: Ferrari Media Center

Trulli, Panis y Verstappen

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Photo de: Jordan Grand Prix

Giancarlo Fisichella and Juan Pablo Montoya

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Photo by: Benetton Formula

Fisichella, Montoya y Button

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Photo de: Benetton Formula

Jenson Button in the pit lane

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Photo by: Benetton Formula

Driver Presentation: Michael Schumacher and Rubes Barrichello

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Photo by: Ferrari Media Center

Driver Presentation: Kimi Raikkonen, Jacques Villeneuve, and Eddie Irvine

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Photo by: Brousseau Photo

Tire change practice in Prost

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Photo by: Brousseau Photo

Eddie and Naomi… But where is Flavio?

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Photo by: Brousseau Photo

Practica of pits in Jordan

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Photo from: Brousseau Photo

Working at the Benetton

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Photo by: Brousseau Photo

Jenson Button, Flavio Briatore y Giancarlo Fisichella

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Photo de: Benetton Formula

¿Russel Crowe de incógnito? Only dos australianos fans

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Photo de: Ferrari Media Center

A giant Prancing Horse

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Photo de: Ferrari Media Center

Flavio Briatore speaks with Prince Michael of Kent

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Photo by: Benetton Formula

Having fun at the press conference: Michael Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen

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Photo by: Brousseau Photo

A very fashionable crowd

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Photo by: Ferrari Media Center

Poder BMW

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Photo from: Brousseau Photo

Ralf Schumacher and his BMW 330i convertible

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Photo de: BMW AG

Press conference: Rubens Barrichello and Michael Schumacher

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Photo by: Ferrari Media Center

on the track

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Photo by: Ferrari Media Center

on the track

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Photo by: Ferrari Media Center

Pits stop for Rubens Barrichello

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Photo by: Ferrari Media Center

Rubens Barrichello

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Photo by: Ferrari Media Center

Enrique Bernoldi

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Photo from: Brousseau Photo

Michael Schumacher

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Photo from: Brousseau Photo

John Paul Montoya

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Photo Credit: BMW AG

Luciano Burti

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Photo by: Brousseau Photo

Luciano Burti

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Photo de: Mark Gledhill

Luciano Burti

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Photo by: Brousseau Photo

Jenson Button

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Foto de: Benetton Formula

Jos Verstappen

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Photo de: Arrows Grand Prix International

Jarno Trulli

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Photo by: Jordan Grand Prix

Jarno Trulli

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Photo by: Jordan Grand Prix

Ralph Schumacher

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Photo de: BMW AG

Heinz-Harald Frentzen

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Photo by: Brousseau Photo

Ralph Schumacher

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Photo de: BMW AG