It took five seasons of driving for Ferrari for Jean Alesi to finally clinch his one and only race win, making his birthday at the 1995 Canadian Grand Prix one that he will never forget.
So used to finishing on podiums but missing the top step, the Frenchman didn’t even realise he was leading the race at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve until he saw fans supporting him from the grandstands.
After that incredibly overwhelming realisation, how did he feel on those final laps as he crept closer to taking the chequered flag before anyone else for the first time in his F1 career, and on his 31st birthday to boot?
Speaking to Beyond The Grid host Tom Clarkson, Alesi delves into the race in which he benefitted from Michael Schumacher’s mechanical problems, explaining his emotions when he found out he was going to win and what it was like to complete a lap of honour on the back of the German driver’s car.
He discusses the high of visiting the Vatican in Rome as part of the celebrations, but also talks about whether winning just one race frustrates him when he looks back on his 13 seasons in F1. Aside from his win in Montreal, Alesi reveals some other memorable moments, like when he inspired Eddie Jordan to build his own team.
To listen to this week’s episode, simply hit go on the audio player above or click here to listen via your preferred podcasting platform.
You can also check out a huge selection of previous episodes – spanning every decade of F1 – in our dedicated Beyond The Grid library here.
