European Grand Prix 2012 - Race Schedule and Countdown

Fernando Alonso delivered one of his finest performances to win a chaotic European Grand Prix at Valencia, capitalizing on a dramatic first-lap incident to claim victory on home soil and surge into the championship lead. The Spaniard produced a masterclass in racecraft and opportunism, recovering from 11th on the grid to beat Kimi Raikkonen's Lotus and Michael Schumacher's Mercedes in a race that will forever be remembered for Romain Grosjean's catastrophic first-lap crash that triggered widespread calls for action against the Frenchman's aggressive driving.

The race exploded into chaos at the first corner when Grosjean, running in the midfield, collided with Mark Webber and launched his Lotus into a spectacular airborne accident that collected Hamilton's McLaren and Nico Rosberg's Mercedes. The British driver's championship hopes took a devastating blow as his car sustained terminal damage, while Grosjean faced severe criticism for what many saw as reckless driving - the latest in a series of first-lap incidents that had marred his season. The safety car period that followed allowed Alonso, who had started poorly, to reset his race and execute a brilliant strategic recovery.

From there, Alonso drove with the brilliance that defined his 2012 campaign, picking his way through the field with perfectly judged overtakes and tire management. His Ferrari F2012, widely acknowledged as only the third or fourth-fastest car, came alive in his hands as he extracted every ounce of performance. Raikkonen secured second place with his trademark consistency, while Schumacher claimed a remarkable podium finish - his first since returning to F1 - in what proved to be one of the final highlights of his illustrious career. Alonso's victory on home soil, extracting maximum points from chaos, epitomized his season-long ability to exceed his machinery's limitations and established him as the championship favorite despite Ferrari's competitive deficit.