Mat Coch writes:

Friday marks Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso's thirtieth birthday. Since making his debut in Formula One in 2001 with Minardi, at the tender age of nineteen, he's gone on to claim two world championship titles with Renault, win twenty-seven Grands Prix and chalk up twenty pole positions.

"I never thought I'd have two world championships at thirty, to be honest," he said in Hungary. "I knew how difficult it is to win in Formula One, and I know how difficult it is to succeed here, and I am extremely lucky to have all the wins that I have now."

Since winning his last world title in 2006 Alonso has come within touching distance of another crown on two occasions, in 2007 while driving for McLaren and again last season where a bungled pit strategy saw him snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

"I had the possibility in 2007 and missed the championship by one point, and I had the opportunity last year as well in Abu Dhabi," he explained. "Four times I've been fighting for the world championship in the last race. I won two, I lost two. I think it's fair. If it was 3:1 maybe it was unfair, but two and two is a fifty-precent chance."

Jenson Button, who turned thirty just before the start of the 2011 season, also reaches a milestone this weekend. Making his debut for Williams in 2000, the Hungarian Grand Prix marks the 2009 world champion's 200th Grand Prix. It's an apt location for it too, as the Hungaroring circuit was the scene for the Briton's debut win in 2006.

"It's the perfect place for me to have my 200th grand prix," said Button. "The last couple of races have been a bit difficult in terms of not finishing we can have a good result here on such a special weekend."