The Athletic

Fernando Alonzo claimed the record as the youngest winner of an F1 race when he stood on the top step of the podium at the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix after a commanding

performance from pole position that was a sign of what was to come in his career.

Well, the first part of his career, at least.

It was also the day when the World Championship appeared to be slipping through the fingers

of Michael Schumacher and Ferrari as he came home eighth and a lap down, allowing title rivals Kimmy Reichen and won Pablo Montoya to make up vital ground as they joined Alonzo on the podium.

I'm Glenn Freeman and joining me for this trip back to the day Alonzo truly arrived as an F1 superstar are two men who were there that day, Mark Hughes, and a very warm welcome back to

Ted Kravitz of Sky Sports F1 Pit Lane fame.

So Ted, as I said there, welcome back. Good to have you again and I promise not to interrupt

you at any point during this podcast to play any team radio. In 2003, you were in the pit lane for ITV,

of course. So when you think back to that sunny day in Hungary, what's the first thing that comes

to mind? Yes, well, hello, Glenn Mark. Thanks having me back. Yes, two seconds, Ted has become

a merch line that I wish I could do. But unfortunately, probably some intellectual property

issues with Formula One and with Sky would probably preclude me for doing that. But yeah, so, I mean,

I remember it was a different Hungary because it was the first time we turned up there and they

completely changed the circuit.

And this was a bit of a shock to everybody. Hungary had always been, at least since I'd been

going there in the sort of late 1990s, a really characterful Grand Prix with a proper

unchanged since its debut in the mid-80s circuit.

It was rough around the edges.

There was lots of vegetation.

There was some stalls, some merchandise.

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