Fernando Alonso
From Powersports Information Wiki Source
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fernando Alonso (born July 29, 1981 in Oviedo, Spain) is a Spanish formula one race car driver for the Renault F1 formula one team. Alonso who began racing with karts at a very young age, achieved formula one greatness early in his career after winning the World Driver's Championship in only his fifth season (25th of September, 2005) at the age of 24 years and 58 days, thus becoming the youngest to accomplish the feat and breaking the record formerly held by Emerson Fittipaldi who held the title when he was 25.
Success continued to roll in the Spaniard's way as he captured world title number 2 soon after, becoming the youngest double world champion with his win in 2007. He is also in elite company as only the second driver aside from multi-titlist Michael Schumacher to score at least 100 points for three consecutive seasons. Other records/titles he holds is the youngest driver and the first Spaniard to win a grand prix, and the youngest driver in pole position. Despite not being in the business that long, Alonso has been admired for his poise under pressure aside from his witty technical approach.
Contents |
Personal Life
Fernando Alonso Diaz (his full name includes his mother's maiden name in accordance to the Spanish custom) was born in Oviedo, a city in the Asturias region of northern Spain and is one of the two children of a department store employee (mother) and an explosives expert (father). Fernando and his family, though not wealthy, lived a comfortable life. His father José Luis, who was a go-kart racing enthusiast, tried to pass his interest in karting to his daughter Lorena when he built her a pedal kart mimicking an F1 car. Unfortunately, Fernando's elder sister was not interested as speed was not her thing. And so, José Luis' creation, with some tinkering in the pedals, eventually fell in the hands of then three year old Fernando who never looked so comfortable on the driver's seat.
Fernando married Raquel del Rosario, lead singer of Spanish pop band El Sueño de Morfeo, on the 17th of November 2006 in the town of Limanes in northwestern Spain near Alonso's hometown of Oviedo. The two, who have reportedly known each other since June of 2005, were said to have wed in the Maldives islands in the Indian Ocean but Alonso's agent denied the reports. [1]
Nicknamed El Nano, the 5-foot-6, 150 pound Nanin (as called by his best friends) enjoys playing soccer, go cycling or training, and magic when he is free from his hectic F1 commitments.
Early Career
The simple "game" of kart eventually became a serious hobby as Alonso started to outperform other kids at his level. Along with his father who became his mechanic, Alonso competed with karts and not long after celebrating his seventh birthday, claimed his first ever win in Pola de Laviana on June 1988. Though it was only his first competition in the junior ranks, Alonso showed his talent by winning all eight races enroute to claiming the championship in the Infant Category that year. With his family providing ample support---his father striving to develop his skill while his mother making sure he did equally well in school (Santo Angel de la Gaurda)---Alonso became a force to be reckoned with in karting as he added both the Galician and the Asturias titles to his collection at the tender age of eight. In 1990, he competed in the Cadet Category and successfully won both the Asturias and the Vasc championships before finishing in second place at the 1991 Spanish championships held at the Santos de la Humosa circuit between Guadalajara and Madrid. By this time, the only downside in Alonso's young career was the finances as his family struggled to provide for his trips' and his vehicle's expenses. Fortunately for him, he continued to win races despite competing in categories where oftentimes he is listed as the youngest driver. He elevated to the 100cc class in 1992 and then competed in the Catalan Championship at Mora de Ebro in 1993. It was then that Alonso's talent was spotted by Genikart owner Genis Marco, who after giving the Spaniard a test, allowed Alonso to compete with his team.
From 1993 through '96, Alonso raced in the junior class, winning the Spanish title in four successive years, in addition to the third runner-up finish in the '95 (first podium finish) and the title in the '96 World Championship at Braga and at Ghent, respectively. It was also during those times that despite receiving support from IAME for his travelling and miscellaneous needs that Alonso served as mechanic to young kids to earn some money for his own expenses. In 1996, Alonso also beat 1994 world champion Antonio Garcia in the national championship at Sils before proceeding to harvest the Spanish and Italian titles the following year. His continuous success paved the way for an opportunity to compete in the Formula Campus which he turned down eventually in order to hone his skills and further exhaust his training in karting. In 1998, Alonso was victorious at Paris Bercy, was declared Spanish Inter-A champion, bagged the industry trophy at Parma and Open Ford, then added a runner-up finish at the European Championship (9 wins). Later that year, former Minardi F1 driver Adrián Campos gave Alonso the same opportunity he gave Antonio Garcia---a try out for his team. Alonso passed with flying colors after three days of testing at the Albacete circuit, even matching the lap times of Campos' previous driver Marc Gené. After signing with Campos to compete at the 1999 Spanish Euro Open MoviStar by Nissan series, Alonso showcased an impressive run with his six wins, nine poles and eight fastest laps earning him the Formula Nissan series title over rival Manuel Giao by a hairline.
His remarkable performance enabled him to test an F1 car for the first time on the 13th of December at the Jerez circuit. Cesare Florio, ex-sporting director for Minardi, was so impressed with Alonso's test that he suggested to Gabriele Rumi "to draw up a 10-year contract for him (Alonso) before word got round F1 about Fernando and someone stole him from us." He lapped 1.5 seconds faster than the other drivers during the test. In 2000, Alonso took one last step prior to the "big leagues," taking part in the supporting FIA F3000 series under the Astromega team. Pitted against seasoned and older drivers, Alonso found it difficult to tally scores but still managed to catch up in the latter stages of the tournament when he scored a second place finish and a win in the final two rounds to secure 4th place behind Bruno Junqueira, Nicolas Minassian and Mark Webber. Soon after, his manager Flavio Briatore secured the services of Alonso for Minardi for the 2001 season.
Formula One
Minardi (2001)
Minardi was hopeful of a bright new start for 2001 with new owner Paul Stoddart taking charge, the debut of the new PS01 car, and the acquisition of the promising Alonso. The Spaniard promptly made a positive impression after outqualifying Brazilian teammate Tarso Marques by 2.6 seconds during his first race. His maiden year wasn't the most impressive by a rookie, but Alonso managed to make a smooth transition to F1 with several notable performances throughout the season including at Imola where he outqualified both Benetton cars. Even before the season concluded, some teams have already showed interest in Alonso, headed by Sauber which was also considering Felipe Massa and Andre Lotterer to succeed Kimi Räikkönen at that time. With the Sauber seat eventually taken by Massa, Briatore considered placing Alonso as a replacement to Jenson Button at Benetton but later on decided to put him on test driving duties.
Renault (2002-06)
Alonso spent most of 2002 away from the spotlight, as a test driver for Renault who recently took over from the Benetton team. 1,642 laps of testing later, Alonso was finally back on the main roster in lieu of Button to team up with Jarno Trulli in 2003. In only his first race at Renault, Alonso was able to tally his first career score after placing 7th in the Australian Grand Prix. The following race, he claimed pole position in Malaysia to become the youngest to achieve the feat at 21 years, 7months, 23days old. His 3rd place in that same race was also his first career podium and the first for the team that year. In the ensuing Brazilian Grand Prix, Alonso crashed the R23 at 180mph after missing the double yellow flags and Safety Car boards brought out by Mark Webber's earlier crash. The race was red-flagged with Alonso finishing in 3rd place. His second place finish at his home race in Barcelona was overshadowed by his performance at the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix, where he chalked up Renault's best finish of the season with his first career win, beating Schumacher from pole to finish to become the youngest driver to win a grand prix at 22 years and 26 days. He ended the season with 55 points and a 6th place finish in the championship, two places ahead of teammate Trulli.
Renault retained the services of Alonso for 2004 and although he started the year with a podium finish in Australia, the Spaniard was pressured to raise his game as Trulli was starting to peak with a podium in Spain and a stunning first career win at Monaco. However, Trulli's hot streak ended as quick as it started while Alonso began to improve on the standings, placing a season-best second place in France and two more podiums in Germany and Hungary. Trulli on the other hand failed to return to the podium and eventually his relationship with Renault boss Briatore soured to the point that he ended their talent-manager tie-up and signed with Toyota for the end of 2004 onwards. Alonso managed to improve to 4th place in the standings with 59 points.
Renault was considered as a powerhouse for 2005 even before the season started as the team of Alonso and the highly touted Italian driver Giancarlo Fisichella stomped their dominance in the preseason testing on through the early stages of the season. In the season-opener, Alonso managed to squeeze past the competition to finish third while his teammate Fisi chalked up the win. In the next few races, while Fisi struggled to retirement, Alonso carried the load for Renault with wins in Malaysia and Bahrain from pole positions and a third victory in San Marino after going head-to-head with Schumacher. He placed runner-up in his home race and in Monaco behind McLaren's Kimi Räikkönen before adding victories in the European, French, and German Grands Prix. After finishing 11th from a 6th place qualifying in Hungary due to a collision with Ralf Schumacher, Alonso returned to the podium the rest of the way including a win from pole position in Brazil that practically sealed his driver's championship victory. A win in China basically cemented Renault's first ever constructor's championship, beating second place McLaren by nine, 191-182. Alonso's effort netted him the Sports Prince of Asturias Award that year.
Alonso declared before the start of the 2006 season, on the 19th of December 2005 to be precise, that he would be moving to McLaren for the 2007 season. His announcement most definitely made the season a more challenging one as he tries not only to maintain his relationship with Renault, but also to defend the world driver's championship. The predicament didn't seem to be bothersome at the start of the season as Alonso jumpstarted his title defense with a win at Bahrain, then qualified 7th due to fuel error to place second to teammate Fisi at the Malaysian GP. He claimed win number two in Australia after upending Honda's Button then added a couple of runner up finishes to M. Schumacher in the San Marino and European GPs. Alonso however was able to fire back at the 2006 Spanish GP as he made history by becoming the first Spaniard to win his home race on the 14th of May 2006. He followed his historic victory with three more first place finishes to widen the gap in the World title. The battle with Schumacher went on with the German racking up three consecutive first place finishes in Indianapolis, France, and Germany, races where Alonso managed only to finish 5th, 2nd, and 5th respectively.
Both contenders however had their title hopes in a bit of jeopardy as both incurred a penalty for a practice infraction that put the racers 15th and 11th on the grid. Alonso's valiant effort never paid off as he crashed out while his rival managed to squeeze a point to his tally. Both drivers finished in the podium at the Italian GP, with Alonso 2nd and Schumacher 3rd. The Spaniard however lost some momentum after a controversial penalty at Monza for impeding Ferrari's Felipe Massa that sent him back five places down to 10th place at the start of the race. Alonso said before the race that “I don’t consider any more that Formula 1 is a sport.” He managed to catch up to third place but was forced to retire because of engine failure. Schumacher, who ended the Italian GP on top, has therefore cut Alonso's lead to two. In the ensuing race in China, Schumacher once again prevailed while Alonso was 2nd, tying both drivers score with two races left. With a stroke of luck, the lead was regained by Alonso as Schumacher's engine blew to retirement. Alonso on the other hand stormed with a win and a ten-point gap that basically put one of his foot into the championship. The title was eventually sealed in the Brazilian GP as Schumacher couldn't make it past the 4th place while Alonso ended in 2nd place, earning for himself the distinction of being the youngest double champion in F1 history. Renault made it a double whammy after claiming its second consecutive constructor's championship in a close 206-201 win over Ferrari.
McLaren (2007)
Upon the expiration of his contract at Renault, Alonso finally made his move to McLaren for the 2007 season with a reported pay of £20 million (approx $ 39 million c. 2007) for the year. He debuted with McLaren's MP4-22 on the 15th of January 2007. The new McLaren tandem of Alonso and the youthful Lewis Hamilton finished in the podium in the season opener, with the former in second place while the latter placing third. In the ensuing race on the 8th of April 2007, the duo improved their previous standing to give the team its first 1-2 finish with Alonso claiming his first win and the team claiming its first victory since 2005. Alonso struggled in the ensuing races with a 5th place finish in Bahrain but still managed to sneak in a podium at his home race despite a damage on his car. The team recorded its second 1-2 finish in Monaco on the 27th of May with Alonso once again spearheading on his pole position, fastest lap, and the win itself. The Nürburgring hosted his third victory of the season in a wet race that saw Alonso steal the lead from Massa with four laps left.
At the 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix, team McLaren was rocked with controversy when, while both McLarens were in the pits, Alonso delayed the then provisional pole sitter Hamilton, for the few seconds necessary to prevent Hamilton from getting another 'hot lap' in. McLaren boss Ron Dennis later said that the problems were caused by Hamilton initially disobeying an order to allow Alonso to pass earlier in the session. Nonetheless, Alonso still sustained a five-place grid penalty while the team was docked the 15 constructors' World Championship points they would have earned in the race. Since then, the two teammates were in conflict up to the point that they weren't speaking anymore with reports suggesting Alonso's departure the following year. As if to respond to media speculations, the team announced on the 7th of August 2007 that McLaren will allow Alonso to depart from the squad even if he still has two more years on his contract. The relationship turned to worse after the scandal involving the team and Ferrari in the espionage controversy where McLaren was found guilty of breaching the Article 151c of the FIA's sporting regulations. After the initial findings spared the team of any penalty due to the lack of evidence, a new hearing was conducted on the 13th of September after evidence of mostly emails between Alonso and test driver Pedro de la Rosa, containing confidential Ferrari technical data and sporting strategy information from senior McLaren engineer Mike Coughlan via Ferrari employee Nigel Stepney, was obtained. Alonso and de la Rosa was eventually freed from any sanctions in exchange for providing evidence.
Since then, speculations of Alonso moving to Ferrari in lieu of "Toyota-bound" Massa have grown, but the rumors died down after reports indicate that a return to Renault for 2008 was on the horizon. Renault head honcho welcomed the news of Alonso's return to his team. McLaren's statement on the 2nd of November 2007 that both camps, McLaren and Alonso, had mutually agreed to terminate his contract and that he would be free to join any team for 2008 without paying McLaren any compensation basically paved the way for his Renault comeback. Alonso ended his turbulent McLaren stint with a 3rd place finish in the championship standings with 109 points highlighted by four wins and four runner up finishes.
Renault (2008-Present)
Several teams showed interest in Alonso after his departure at McLaren, with Red Bull, Toyota, Honda, and Renault emerging as possible candidates. It was however reported on the 10th of December 2007 that Fernando Alonso had signed with Renault F1 for around £25 million. This contract has a length of two seasons and the Brazilian driver Nelson Angelo Piquet will be his new team mate.
Records
- The youngest driver to win a Grand Prix - Fernando Alonso was 22 years and 26 days when he won the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2003 with a comfortable 16.7 second advantage over runner-up Räikkönen. Alonso was with this also the first Spaniard to win a Grand Prix.
- The youngest driver to claim pole position - Fernando Alonso gained pole for the first time in his career at the Malaysian GP of 2003 at the age of 21 years, 7months, 23days.
Results and Records
Career Summary
| Season | Series | Team Name | Races | Poles | Wins | Points | Final Placing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Euro Open by Nissan | Campos Motorsport | 15 | 9 | 6 | 164 | 1st |
| 2000 | International Formula 3000 | Team Astromega | 9 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 4th |
| 2001 | Formula One | Minardi | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC |
| 2002 | Formula One | Renault | Test driver | ||||
| 2003 | Formula One | Renault | 16 | 2 | 1 | 55 | 6th |
| 2004 | Formula One | Renault | 18 | 1 | 0 | 59 | 4th |
| 2005 | Formula One | Renault | 19 | 6 | 7 | 133 | 1st |
| 2006 | Formula One | Renault | 18 | 6 | 7 | 134 | 1st |
| 2007 | Formula One | McLaren | 17 | 2 | 4 | 109 | 3rd |
| 2008 | Formula One | Renault | |||||
Complete Formula One Results
References
- Fernando Alonso Crash.Net Profile
- Fernando Alonso Formula1.com Profile
- Fernando Alonso Wikipedia
- Fernando Alonso: The Youngest Double World Champion in History
External Links
|
