STORY OF THE DAY: Alonso Begins His Ferrari Career with Victory

Fernando Alonso won the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sakhir in the number 8 Ferrari F10, leading teammate Felipe Massa to a Ferrari one-two in the opening round of the 2010 World Championship. The victory gave Alonso an immediate success on his Ferrari debut and established the team as an early championship contender.

Starting third, Alonso passed Massa at the first corner and spent much of the race pursuing Sebastian Vettel. The Red Bull developed an exhaust-related loss of power late in the contest, allowing Alonso and Massa to move ahead. Alonso then controlled the closing laps to become one of the few drivers to win his first Grand Prix for Ferrari.

The F10 was designed for regulations that prohibited in-race refuelling, requiring a substantially larger fuel tank and careful management of weight distribution. Its carbon-fibre composite chassis housed Ferrari’s 2.4-litre Tipo 056 V8, while its aerodynamics included a high, tightly packaged rear body and a double diffuser.

Born in Oviedo, Spain, Alonso rose through karting and Formula 3000 before entering Formula One with Minardi. He won consecutive World Championships with Renault in 2005 and 2006 and joined Ferrari for 2010. His composed Bahrain victory began a title campaign that remained undecided until the final round.