On 19 March, Formula One has seen dominant teams lay down early-season markers — but not always through the drivers you might expect.

In 2006, Renault arrived in Malaysia as the team to beat, but it was Giancarlo Fisichella — not reigning world champion Fernando Alonso — who delivered a commanding victory at Sepang. With Alonso recovering from a compromised qualifying to complete a one–two, and Michael Schumacher fighting through the field, the race offered the first clear signal of how the season would unfold.

Seventeen years later in Saudi Arabia, history echoed under the lights in Jeddah. Red Bull’s superiority was clear, yet it was Sergio Pérez who converted pole into victory, while Max Verstappen surged from the midfield to secure second. Behind them, Fernando Alonso’s milestone 100th podium added late drama in a race that confirmed the team’s early dominance.

And we also remember Nicola Larini — a driver whose Formula One career was defined not by sustained success, but by one extraordinary moment. Called up by Ferrari in 1994, he delivered a remarkable second-place finish at Imola in one of the most difficult weekends in the sport’s history — a performance that would stand as his only podium.

From dominant teams to unexpected winners, this is a story of the victories that came from the other side.

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