Feature: Time Running Out for Alonso

Time is running out for Fernando Alonso, the youngest driver in Formula One.

Not in career terms, of course, because the 22-year-old Spaniard has a glittering future.

But the clock is certainly ticking if he wants to become the youngest driver to win a Grand Prix, and Sunday's Hungarian race is likely to be the best chance he will get.

When Alonso put his Renault on pole at the Malaysian Grand Prix in March, becoming at 21 the youngest driver to start from the front of the grid, he set his sights on more records.

He had already become the youngest to finish a Grand Prix - aged 19 at the 2001 Australian Grand Prix in a Minardi - and the youngest to appear on the podium. Malaysia also made him the youngest driver to lead a Grand Prix and to set a fastest lap.

His next goals were to become the youngest race winner and to oust Brazilian Emerson Fittipaldi as the most precocious champion.

He still has plenty of time to achieve the latter ambition since Fittipaldi was 25 when he won the first of his two crowns in 1972, but for the other one he needs to put his foot down.

To beat American Troy Ruttman, Indy 500 winner in 1952 when that event counted for the World Championship, or New Zealander Bruce McLaren in the record books, Alonso must win this season.

Ruttman was 22 years and 80 days old when he won, although some do not consider him a true Grand Prix winner. McLaren was 22 and 104 days.

Alonso, who has confirmed he will stay at Renault in 2004, celebrated his 22nd birthday on July 29 and has just four races remaining this year.

Renault Confident

Hungary, the slowest track after Monaco, is more likely to play to Renault's strengths than Monza, Indianapolis or Suzuka.

Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya holds the Monza lap record and won there in 2001, Ferrari and McLaren have held sway at Indianapolis since that track returned in 2000 and Schumacher has won the last three races at Suzuka.

Hungary, difficult as it is to overtake, can throw up surprises - witness Damon Hill leading for Arrows for most of the 1997 race.

"The conditions should suit our package, we have seen that the Michelin tyres perform very well in high temperatures and, in theory, the circuit should suit (us)," said Alonso.

"There are lots of corners and that is where our package is strongest, at high and low speed. We will have to work hard all weekend but, with the extra benefit of our testing on Friday, I think that we can push for the podium again."

Renault started the season telling everyone that they were well down on power compared to their rivals but their recent form has looked good.

Tyre Selection

With fourth place overall in the bag and no chance of challenging the top three, they can afford to be more adventurous in terms of strategy and tyre selection.

Italian Jarno Trulli might not have finished third at high-speed Hockenheim three weeks ago had Ralf Schumacher, Rubens Barrichello and Kimi Raikkonen not crashed out on the first lap, but he was a definite contender.

"We have been very competitive in the last couple of races: the introduction of the new bodywork package at Silverstone helped us and we still have several steps forward to make with the engine before the end of the year," said technical director Mike Gascoyne.

Williams, McLaren and Ferrari are clear favourites but this most surprising of seasons has shown that nothing can be taken for granted.

Alonso, still mathematically in contention for the title, will be a long shot for victory on Sunday but he and Trulli could certainly throw a spanner in the works.