Alonso after his win on Sunday. (Reuters)

Barcelona: Renault’s Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso soaked up the adulation of a 130,000-strong crowd on Sunday after becoming the first Spaniard to win his home Grand Prix.

Watched by King Juan Carlos, and roared on by ecstatic compatriots decked out in Renault’s blue and yellow colours, the triumphant 24-year-old ended Michael Schumacher’s hopes of a third win in a row for Ferrari. The German, six-time winner at the Circuit de Catalunya and Alonso’s closest rival in the championship after winning his home Grand Prix at the Nuerburgring last weekend, finished second 18.5 seconds adrift.

Drenched in the winners’ champagne and congratulated on the sunlit podium by his king, Alonso said the afternoon ranked alongside winning the championship in Brazil last year as his happiest day.

“It is probably the best feeling so far in a Formula One car,” he said. “This one was maybe a better feeling because we crossed the line winning the race.”

“To race here in front of an all-blue grandstand is a different feeling and 66 laps is not enough to enjoy it all,” he added. “But when you are leading, you want it to finish to celebrate already the victory.”

Alonso’s third win of the season, and 11th of his career, extended his overall lead over seven-time champion Schumacher to 15 points after six rounds.

The Spaniard, who has now finished the last 12 races on the podium, has 54 points to Schumacher’s 39.

“I think we did our maximum race performance today,” Alonso told the post-race news conference. “Everything went perfectly as planned.”

Renault team technician Pat Symonds said the car had performed exceptionally well, telling ITV Sport: “I think what won it today was just sheer speed, it wasn’t strategy.”

Schumacher said: “We were simply not quick enough today. It’s eight points, you have to understand in certain moments what is possible and what is not. But it’s a long way to go to the end of the season. I’m reasonably happy to lose only two points.”

Italian Giancarlo Fisichella completed a solid afternoon for Renault, who announced a long-term commitment to Formula One before the race after carmakers agreed to sign a new commercial deal to 2012, by taking third place.

The Roman tried in vain to get past Alonso at the start after starting alongside on the front row and then lost time when he ran wide into the gravel. Brazilian Felipe Massa was fourth for Ferrari, ahead of McLaren’s Kimi Raikkonen and Honda’s Briton Jenson Button and Brazilian Rubens Barrichello. Germany’s Nick Heidfeld pocketed the final point in eighth place for BMW Sauber. (Reuters)

RESULTS

1. Fernando Alonso (Renault) 1:26:21.759; 2. Michael Schumacher (Ferrari) +00:18.502; 3. Giancarlo Fisichella (Renault) 00:23.951; 4. Felipe Massa (Ferrari) 00:29.859; 5. Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren) 00:56.875; 6. Jenson Button (Honda) 00:58.347; 7. Rubens Barrichello (Honda) 1 lap; 8. Nick Heidfeld (BMW Sauber) 1 lap; 9. Mark Webber (Williams-Cosworth) 1 lap; 10. Jarno Trulli (Toyota, 1 lap) 11. Nico Rosberg (Williams-Cosworth) 1 lap; 12. Jacques Villeneuve (BMW Sauber) 1 lap; 13. Christian Klien (RedBull-Ferrari) 1 lap; 14. David Coulthard (RedBull-Ferrari) 1 lap; 15. Vitantonio Liuzzi (Toro Rosso-Cosworth) 3 laps; 16. Tiago Monteiro (MF1-Toyota) 3 laps; 17. Takuma Sato (Super Aguri-Honda) 4 laps retired; Christijan Albers (MF1-Toyota) 15 laps, retired; Scott Speed (Toro Rosso-Cosworth) 19 laps retired; Ralf Schumacher (Toyota) 34 laps retired; Juan Pablo Montoya (McLaren) 48 laps retired; Franck Montagny (Super Aguri-Honda) 55 laps.

STANDINGS

Drivers ? 1. Fernando Alonso (Spain, Renault, 54) 2. Michael Schumacher (Germany, Ferrari, 39) 3. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland, McLaren, 27) 4. Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy, Renault 24) 5. Felipe Massa (Brazil, Ferrari, 20) 6. Jenson Button (Britain, Honda, 16) 7. Juan Pablo Montoya (Colombia, McLaren, 15) 8. Rubens Barrichello (Brazil, Honda, 8) 9. Ralf Schumacher (Germany, Toyota, 7) 10. Nick Heidfeld (Germany, BMW Sauber, 6)

Constructors ? 1. Renault (78) 2. Ferrari (59) 3. McLaren ? Mercedes (42) 4. Honda (24) 5. BMW Sauber (12) 6. Williams-Cosworth (10) 7. Toyota (7) 8. RedBull-Ferrari (2) 9. Toro Rosso-Cosworth (0) 10. MF1-Toyota (0)