Alonso Aims to be Youngest Champion

Spain's Fernando Alonso set his sights on becoming Formula One's youngest champion today after a record-breaking weekend at the Malaysian Grand Prix.

The 21-year-old became the youngest driver ever to qualify on pole position on Saturday and finished third for Renault's first podium since they returned to Formula One as a full works team last year. He did it despite fighting a fever, feeling sick during the race and struggling with a faulty gearbox for the closing stages.

"It's the best weekend in my life probably," said the youngest driver on the grid. "I'm pretty happy to be the youngest man. I started in go-karts so early, I raced in Formula Nissan at 17, in Formula 3000 at 18 and with Minardi at 19.

"I was always the youngest driver in the categories. To be the youngest also to have pole position is a good thing and I hope to be the youngest driver to win a race... maybe the youngest driver to win the World Championship."

Alonso will be 22 on July 29, just before the German Grand Prix, and must win this season to replace the late New Zealander Bruce McLaren in the record books as youngest race winner. Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi was champion at 25.

Alonso led for the first 14 laps until his pitstop, and was constantly in the top three. Until two weeks ago, after one season with Minardi and 2002 as a Renault test driver, he had not scored a point.

Good Feeling

"It was a really good feeling to be in front of the race," he said. "But then I was fighting with Rubens (Barrichello) in the second stint and in the third one I had a little problem with the car, with the gear change.

"I changed manually in the last laps and I was very lucky to finish the race."

Barrichello, previously the youngest driver ever to start on pole position, saluted the youngster as a future champion - something Alonso's own team boss Flavio Briatore has done for some time. Renault came in for considerable criticism last season, particularly in Britain, when they replaced Briton Jenson Button with Alonso but the team felt they had made their point on Sunday.

"I hope all those English journalists who wrote it (that Button should have stayed instead) have got the balls to say we were probably right," said technical director Mike Gascoyne.

"Flavio particularly got a lot of stick, everyone was saying he (Alonso) is in the team because he's managed by Flavio but the reason he is managed by Flavio is that Flavio spotted him three years ago and said that's the guy we want in our team.

"And he went and got him. We put him in at Minardi and he did a fantastic job there, he tested for us and did a fantastic job. The time was right to get him in the car. I think in a year or two's time, he can win the World Championship.