> Oviedo gives Alonso hero's welcome

Fernando Alonso was given a rapturous reception when he returned to his home city of Oviedo on Sunday to celebrate his second world championship victory.

More than 20,000 people filled the streets, many of them waving the blue and yellow flags of the Asturias region from which Alonso hails, to salute the 25-year-old who became Formula 1’s youngest ever double champion in Brazil a week earlier.

“For me, it is an honour to see the city like this, with the banners, with the support you give me, and everybody in blue and yellow,” Alonso told chanting fans from a balcony high above the cathedral square.

“I want to thank you. You show your support at every race, at every grand prix, and I think I can say that I have the best supporters in the world.

“You see this in other sports, to have the fans chanting, but not in motorsport.

“Very few drivers can have this, and I am privileged to be one of them.”

Alonso recalled how he had been spurred on by the crowd’s support at Barcelona – “it was a race where I felt different to normal… I gave everything and more in every corner because the people in the stands were supporting me from corner to corner” – and the difficult summer months, when “the wolf was coming” in the form of a resurgent Ferrari challenge.

He conceded that at one point he had doubted whether he would retain his title – when Schumacher drew level with him on points after the Chinese Grand Prix.

“Two races from the end, I thought about the possibility of losing the championship, but then I realised there was still a long way to go – and we had to keep our hope,” he said.

And he admitted that brushes with officialdom over the mass damper ban and his controversial grid penalty at Monza had been a powerful motivational force.

“There was a lot of pressure, and a lot of anger inside me as well,” he said.

“There had been things we did not understand, that seemed unfair and against the sport, and we had to take victory to show that the sport always comes out on top in the end, and that the good guys do win.”