Fernando Alonso wins the Spanish Grand Prix

Fernando Alonso ended a seven-year wait to claim his second Spanish Grand Prix triumph to thrill his fans in Barcelona.

Ferrari managed his strategy to ensure the 31-year-old took the chequered flag for the 32nd time in his career, in a race featuring a staggering 82 pit stops as Pirelli's degrading rubber again seemingly played too much of a role in the outcome for all concerned.

Making four stops, Alonso finished nine seconds clear of three-stopping Kimi Raikkonen in his Lotus, with the Finn having to settle for second for the third consecutive race.

Raikkonen has at least cut triple world champion Sebastian Vettel's lead at the top of the standings to four points, with the German in fourth as Ferrari's Felipe Massa completed the podium.

It wasn’t a great race for the British drivers, though, as Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton finished a disappointing 12th, while Paul Di Resta’s Force India ended in seventh and Jenson Button crossed in his McLaren.