Fernando Alonso is a two time World Champion legendary driver who will be driving for Aston Martin in 2023 alongside Lance Stroll. Born in Oviedo, Spain on 29th July 1981. Fernando Alonso height measures 5ft 7in. Fernando has driven for many teams in the past like Minardi, Renault, McLaren, Ferrari and Alpine.
With Renault, he took home the World Drivers’ Championship in 2005 and 2006. Alonso won the FIA World Endurance Championship from 2018 to 2019 as well as the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice with Toyota, in 2018 and 2019. Additionally, he triumphed at the 2019 24 Hours of Daytona with Wayne Taylor Racing.
At the age of 3, Alonso started karting and won local, national, and international competitions. In 1999, he won the Nissan Euro Open. Alonso made his Formula 1 debut with Minardi in 2001, was upgraded to a race seat in 2003, and went on to win two drivers’ titles in 2005 and 2006. At the time, he was the sport’s youngest pole-sitter, race winner, world champion, and youngest two-time champion.
He returned to Renault for the 2008 and 2009 seasons after finishing just one point behind the champion Kimi Räikkönen with McLaren in 2007. In the former year, he won two races and finished fifth overall. From 2010 to 2014, Alonso raced for Ferrari, losing the championship to Sebastian Vettel in 2010, 2012, and 2013, with the title races in 2010 and 2012 going down to the final race of the year.
From 2015 to 2018, a second stint with McLaren was unsuccessful. Alonso returns to Formula 1 in 2021 with Alpine following a two-year hiatus. The Qatar Grand Prix in 2021 marked Alonso’s first podium finish in seven years. Prior to the 2023 season, Alonso is expected to switch to Aston Martin.
Junior Racing Career
Karting
Alonso won his first kart race in Pola de Laviana at the age of seven. He advanced to the Cadet class in 1990 after winning the Asturias and Galicia junior children’s championship in 1988 and 1989. Alonso was second in the 1991 Spanish Cadet National Championship after winning the 1990 Asturias and Basque Country Cadet Championships. In 1993, he started working for Italian American Motor Engineering. From 1993 to 1995, Alonso won three consecutive Spanish Junior National Championships.
At the 1995 Cadets’ Rainbow Trophy, held by the Commission Internationale de Karting (CIK-FIA), Alonso finished third. In order to get money, Alonso worked as a mechanic for younger kart racers. At the Karting Genk in 1996, he won the Trofeo Estival, the Marlboro Masters, the CIK-FIA 5 Continents Juniors Cup, and his fourth Spanish Junior Karting Championship. He won the Masters Karting Paris Bercy, the Spanish Karting Championship, and the Italian and Spanish International A titles in 1997. He finished second in the European Championship with nine victories.
Nissan Euro Open
Alonso made his auto racing debut in the 1999 Nissan Euro Open at the age of 17 while driving for Campos Motorsport. He defeated Manuel Gio for the championship in the season’s last race after collecting six victories and nine pole positions. Alonso made his auto racing debut in the 1999 Nissan Euro Open at the age of 17 while driving for Campos Motorsport. He defeated Manuel Gio for the championship in the season’s last race after collecting six victories and nine pole positions.
Formula 3000 Championship
He advanced to the more competitive International Formula 3000 Championship for 2000 with the Minardi-supported Team Astromega. Alonso came in fourth overall with 17 points after placing second at the Hungaroring and winning the final race of the season at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.
Formula 1 career
Minardi (2001)
2001 The German Grand Prix was where Alonso’s greatest season performance in a non-competitive car came in at tenth place, earning him 0 points and placing him 23rd overall.
Renault (2003 - 2006)
2003, After driving for Renault as a test driver in 2002, Alonso was elevated to the race team for 2003. Later on, he eclipsed Bruce McLaren’s record for the youngest F1 race winner in the Hungarian Grand Prix by becoming the youngest driver to win a pole position at the second race of the season, the Malaysian Grand Prix. In 2003, he finished on the podium four times and finished P6 in the World Drivers’ Championship with 55 points.
2004, Alonso’s season was better than last year’s; he placed third in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix and added three more podium places to his tally. He won the pole position for the French Grand Prix and finished P4 in the World Drivers’ Championship with 59 points despite not winning any races.
2005, due to rule changes requiring teams not to change tyres during a race and engines to last for two races before they could be changed, he faced off against Kimi Räikkönen of McLaren for the World Championship. Despite being slower than Räikkönen’s, Alonso’s car was more dependable. With seven victories, six pole positions, and fourteen podium finishes for 133 points, Alonso surpassed Emerson Fittipaldi to become the youngest World Drivers’ Champion.
2006, Alonso now has the lead in the championship with 84 out of a possible 90 points after winning six of the first nine races and finishing no worse than P2. Alonso and Schumacher were equal on points heading into the season’s penultimate race, the Japanese Grand Prix, thanks to a restriction the FIA placed on Renault’s modified mass damper device to slow Alonso. As Schumacher was in the lead when his engine failed, Alonso took the victory. Alonso won the title and became the youngest double World Champion in Formula 1.
McLaren (2007)
2007, On December 31, 2006, Alonso’s contract with Renault came to an end. His biggest rivals in 2007 were Ferrari’s Räikkönen and teammate Lewis Hamilton. In Malaysia, Monaco, Europe, and Italy, Alonso won four Grand Prix races, and he held the championship lead until Hamilton passed him.
He needed to win the race and for his teammate to finish third or lower for his third championship before the season’s final round, the Brazilian GP, as he had 103 championship points to Räikkönen’s 100 and Hamilton’s 107. With 109 points, Alonso placed P3 overall and P3 in the competition. He and Hamilton both had the same number of points, but Hamilton outperformed Alonso on the count-back, breaking the tie.
Alonso and Hamilton were involved in a series of confrontations throughout the season, and the tensions reached a head in November when Alonso and McLaren mutually terminated their contract. McLaren believed the team Alonso was prohibited from joining to be their main rivals for the 2008 season. Having turned down offers from a number of teams.
Renault (2008 - 2009)
2008, Due to a development ban that was imposed, Alonso’s car initially lacked power, and he finished with nine points through the first seven races. Due to the cars’ later aerodynamic advancements, he was able to increase his performance and ended up winning in Singapore and Japan. 43 points, the most of any driver in the remaining five races, were scored by Alonso. He finished P5 in the Drivers’ Championship with 61 points.
2009, He re-signed with Renault on a two-year deal despite receiving bids from Red Bull Racing and Honda. His vehicle was uncompetitive due to its absence of a dual diffuser system and raw speed. Alonso refused to use the required aerodynamic front wing because he did not think it would benefit him in his attempt to increase overtaking capability. In eight races, he earned points, and in Singapore, he finished on the podium once. For the Hungarian Grand Prix, Alonso secured pole position. With 26 points, Alonso was P9 in the Drivers’ Championship.
Ferrari (2010 - 2014)
2010, Fernando Alonso had a lot better season as compared to 2009. Alonso signed with Ferrari for 2010. His main rivals for the championship were Hamilton and Button from McLaren and Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber from Red Bull. That year, he won five races, and after falling behind mid-season due to mistakes, he was eight points ahead going into the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Alonso lost 19 points to Vettel, who won the race, and finished season P2 to him after placing eighth.
2011, His car was conservatively designed, had poor aerodynamic grip, and handled poorly in qualifying, which led to a mixed season. He increased the speed of his vehicle to finish on the podium ten times and win the British Grand Prix. He outqualified his colleague Massa fifteen times throughout the season, with a second at the Canadian GP being his best qualifying effort of the year. With 257 points overall, Alonso placed P4.
2012, With Ferrari, Alonso renewed his agreement through 2016. Vettel was his primary rival for the championship in 2012. He amassed a 40-point lead in the Drivers’ Championship thanks to victories in Malaysia, Valencia, and Germany as well as steady finishes that resulted in points. Alonso’s points advantage was then lost by start-line crashes, a mechanical issue, and Vettel’s superior performance. At the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix. Despite spinning on the first lap, Vettel came in fourth, leaving Alonso to finish in P2 for the second time in his career with 278 points.
2013, Alonso routinely scored points and won races in China and Spain because to the aggressive design of his chassis. After changing tyres in the German GP, he was slower than Vettel because the front and rear bodywork components meant to boost his car’s performance were unsuccessful. Alonso finished second for the third time in his career with 242 points with seven podiums. Due to his belief that Ferrari was unable to build a championship-winning vehicle, his relationship with the team grew sour.
2014, Due to his car’s inferior performance to the Mercedes that won the title, Alonso did not win any races during the 2014 season, but he did finish third in the Chinese Grand Prix and second in the Hungarian Grand Prix. With 161 points, Alonso dropped to P6 in the Drivers’ Championship. 16 times, he qualified ahead of teammate Räikkönen.
McLaren (2015 - 2018)
2015, he signed a three-year contract to return to McLaren till 2017. He had a challenging season because the underpowered Honda engine in his car made him susceptible to overtaking. Alonso earned two points in 2015: a tenth place finish in the British Grand Prix and a fifth place finish in the Hungarian Grand Prix and seven retirements moving him up to P17 in the Drivers’ Championship with 11 points.
2016, Fernando Alonso stayed with McLaren for 2016 despite driving a car that wasn’t competitive. He was forced to miss the Bahrain Grand Prix due to medical reasons due to injuries sustained in a severe collision with Esteban Gutiérrez at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, and reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne took his place. Nine times he scored points, including two fifth-place finishes at the Monaco Grand Prix and the United States Grand Prix. He outqualified teammate Button fifteen times. With 54 points, he finished P10 in the Drivers’ Championship.
2017, Alonso remained with McLaren in 2017, but his season was hampered by unreliability, especially in the early races. His best result was sixth in the Hungarian Grand Prix. Alonso earned three top-ten finishes in a row to end with 17 points, P15 in the Drivers’ Championship.
2018, On October 19, 2017, Alonso agreed to a multi-year contract extension with McLaren. At the 2018 Australian Grand Prix, which opened the season, he placed fifth and collected nine top-ten finishes. In every race, Alonso outqualified teammate Vandoorne and drove briskly and fiercely. At the conclusion of the 2018 season, he had 50 points and finished 11th in the Drivers’ Championship.
Alpine (2021 - 2022)
2021, Alonso and Esteban Ocon have contracts to race for Alpine F1 Team in 2021. Alonso was forced to withdraw from his maiden race with Alpine at the 2021 Bahrain Grand Prix because plastic debris got into his brake duct. After seven years, he placed third in Qatar with a string of points. His final standing was P10 with 81 points.
2022, With a season similar to that of 2021, Alonso maintained a ten race point scoring streak followed by two retirements at Italian and Singapore GP. With best finish of P5 at Brazilian GP, he winded up his season at overall P9 with again 81 points.
Aston Martin (2023 - )
2023, Fernando Alonso will be driving alongside Lance Stroll in 203 by replacing Sebastian Vettel as he confirmed his retirement in 2022.
24 Hours of Daytona
Alonso competed in his first 24 Hours of Daytona competition in 2018. Along with Lando Norris and Philip Hanson, he shared the No. 22 United Autosports Ligier, which placed 38th overall.
2019, winning the shortened race due to rain in a Wayne Taylor Racing-entered Cadillac DPi-V.R with Kobayashi, Renger van der Zande and Jordan Taylor.
World Endurance Championship
Alongside Sébastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima, he competed in the 2018–19 FIA World Endurance Championship for Toyota Gazoo Racing. With five race victories, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans in both 2018 and 2019, the trio, who shared the No. 8 Toyota TS050 Hybrid, defeated their teammates Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi, and José Mara López to win the World Drivers’ Championship.
Indy 500
Fernando Alonso indy 500, who raced for McLaren Honda Andretti, started the race in fifth place in qualifying and led four times for a total of 24 laps before experiencing engine trouble with 21 laps to go and withdrew in seventh. He was ranked twenty-fourth. In 2019, he participated in the Indianapolis 500 one again with McLaren.
Alonso was unable to qualify for the race due to faulty gear ratios and a mistake converting inches to the metric system that caused his car to scratch the tarmac surface on his first lap on the track. After an arrangement with Andretti Autosport fell through, he entered the Indianapolis 500 in 2020 for a third try to win the race. Alonso finished the race in 21st place.
Personal Life
The lead singer of the Spanish musical group El Sueo de Morfeo, Raquel del Rosario, and Alonso were wed from November 2006 to December 2011. Alonso and Austrian television presenter Andrea Schlager have been dating since 2022. Alonso enjoys cycling and is a fan of the football teams Real Madrid and Real Oviedo. He is trilingual in Spanish, Italian, French, and English.
Fernando Alonso girlfriend
Fernando Alonso girlfriend Andrea Schlager is an Austrian journalist and television host who was born in Knittelfeld on June 16, 1982. When she was in middle school, she was frequently spotted around F1 circuits like the Red Bull ring. She is most known for moderating tennis, ice hockey, and motorcycle racing on ServusTV. 2019’s Sports Journalist of the Year went to her.
Net Worth
Fernando Alonso net worth is valued around $260 Million US Dollars and said to be earning $40 Million US Dollars per annum.
Awards
- AutosportGregor Grant Award: 2003
- The Princess Cristina National Sports Award – sporting newcomer: 2003
- Lorenzo Bandini Trophy’s recipient: 2005
- Prince of Asturias Award for Sports: 2005
- Premios Nacionales del Deporte Sportsman of the Year Award: 2005
- Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sports Merit: 2005
- Autosport International Racing Driver of the Year: 2006
- Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year: 2017
- FIA Hall of Fame: 2017
- FIA World Endurance Champion: 2019
Philanthropy
Fernando Alonso was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in February 2005 by the UNICEF Spanish Committee to advance and protect children’s rights and raise awareness of UNICEF. Alonso sponsored UNICEF’s anti-cyberbullying campaign in November 2017 and championed India’s efforts to eradicate polio in 2011 and 2012, as well as teaching schoolchildren the importance of cleaning their hands with soap. To promote auto racing and the teaching of drivers about road safety, Alonso established the Fundación Fernando Alonso in 2007.
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