Fernando Alonso lined up for his first race at the age of three - using blocks to reach the pedals.

His competitors were older, at least six-years-old. At the end of the race, the youngster was convinced he had won, but when he hadn't, he burst into tears.

At the Hungarian Grand Prix the 22-year-old driver with the Enstone-based Renault team, shed tears of joy after becoming the youngest-ever driver to take the chequered flag, beating the record set by Troy Ruttman in May 1952.

It was a good day for Oxfordshire, with Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher finishing third and fourth respectively for Grove-based BMW Williams.

Kimi Raikonnen finished second to cut the gap on defending champion Michael Schumacher to two points.

Not only did Alonso become the first Spaniard to win a GP, but he also delivered Renault's first win since Alain Prost won in Australia 20 years ago.

While Alonso knows his place in a battle for the world drivers' title is some way off, the day belonged to the Spaniard.

His ambition saw him leave home in Oviedo, Spain, aged 13 to pursue his Formula 1 dream.

But he said: "I've been in racing for 19 years! As far back as I can remember, I have had a steering wheel in my hands. Motorsport is part of my life."

"I am a bit like a sponge. I want to absorb everything around me.

"I know I cannot fight for the title this year, but I am preparing myself for it as well as I can!"