How did Alonso's F1 cars pan out in terms of capability, reliability, speed?

#4 The R 26: that car that earned Fernando his second and last world title

F1 Testing in Jerez Day 3, Alonso goes behind the 2006 Renault

Every driver races with the single ambition to becoming a professional driver. The second dream, as they say, is to be a Formula 1 driver. The third dream is to be a world championship-winning driver.

While Alonso tasted the sweet aura of victory in 2005 for the first time (ever), it was his sensational effort the following year that proved that the previous year's effort wasn't a flash in the pan; and that the Spanish knight was indeed in a class of his own.

In 2006, Fernando Alonso secured another world championship. Implicit in his success the culminated into 7 wins was the legendary R 26, probably a car that he and Flavio Briatore may never forget and maybe, for the times to come.

There's actually little surprise in saying this because the peaks Alonso scaled in that great Renault machine were truly spectacular. They reminded emerging drivers like Raikkonen of the level of competition they were up against as also reminding Michael Schumacher that his reign was now, effectively over.