Red Bull Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel
Red Bull Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany drives during the first practice session of the European F1 Grand Prix at the Valencia street circuit June 22, 2012. Reuters

The champion of the European Grand Prix on Sunday was Fernando Alonso, the Ferrari Formula One star leading the pack as the season's first repeat winner after eight races.

Racing afficianados around the world watched as Ferrari's Fernando Alonso took his second race of the year in the European Grand Prix in Valencia, Spain, according to Reuters.

Alonso beat out Kimi Raikkonen of Lotus, while repeated champion Michael Schumacher came in third for the Mercedes team in what Reuters said was his first spot on the winner's podium in six years.

The 57-lap, 192-mile European Grand Prix was one of the most exciting races thus far in the 2012 Formula One season, with lots of action and several lead changes at the head of the pack.

Fernando Alonso started Sunday's race out in eleventh place, but was able to deftly navigate the upheaval at the front of the race and pull into first for the win.

Red Bull world champion racer Sebastian Vettel was on track to win the race handily after mastering the first half, but his car tuckered out with about 20 laps left in the race, dooming him to a bad finish.

That gave the lead to Fernando Alonso, who was battling Lotus's Romain Grosjean, but Grosjean's car also failed him and he fell behind Alonso, according to Sky Sports, which reported Sunday that the win put Alonso on top of Formula One championship standings ahead of Mark Webber, one of the most consistent drivers so far this season.

The win by Fernando Alonso marks the seventh European Grand Prix first-place finish for Ferrari (a record for any carmaker.) The race was first held in 1983.