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Fernando Alonso

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Template:F1 driver Fernando Alonso Díaz (born on July 29, 1981 in Oviedo, Spain) is a Formula One racing driver, currently living in Oxford. On September 25 2005 he won the World Driver's Championship title at the age of 24 years and 59 days, thus breaking Emerson Fittipaldi's record of being the youngest F1 champion, and ending Michael Schumacher's run of five consecutive championships.

Early years

A native of Oviedo in the Asturias province of northern Spain, Alonso is a long time veteran of karting; he won three Spanish Karting Titles (1994, 1996 and 1997); he was the World Junior Karting champion in 1996; and he raced in the European Kart championship, placing second.

In 1999, Alonso made the jump to open-wheel cars, racing the Spanish Nissan Open series. Then only 18 years old, he became the series champion, immediately earning him a ticket to Formula 3000 in 2000. A win at Spa-Francorchamps highlighted a very solid fourth place in the drivers championship, and Alonso was off for Formula One in 2001.

Formula One years

Fernando Alonso in the pit lane at Indianapolis in 2004

Fernando Alonso has often been tipped as Michael Schumacher's natural successor. The young Spaniard does share some of Schumacher's most impressive attributes. Alonso is one of the few drivers capable of being on the pace every lap of every race and having a rare gift for driving around major problems while losing minimal lap time.

Nicknamed 'Magic Alonso', Fernando has a good sense of humor and is known as one of the paddock’s jokers — he tried out his card and magic trick on Lord March at the 2005 Goodwood Festival, the inhabitants of the paddock delighted to see a driver that actually smiles for a change, someone who actually remembers that it's still a sport.

Alonso was the third-youngest driver in F1 history to start a race when he made his debut with Minardi at the 2001 Australian Grand Prix. While the car was not highly competitive, Alonso did a sturdy job, occasionally out-qualifying better-equipped opponents, yet failed to score a point in his rookie season.

His driving talents earned him a spot with the newly-founded Renault team in 2002 as a test driver; the team groomed him to be a regular driver in 2003. With a much better car than in his first F1 stint, Alonso became the youngest driver ever to win a Formula One pole position at the 2003 Malaysian Grand Prix; he also became the youngest driver ever to win a Formula One race at the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix. At season's end, he was a solid sixth in the championship, with 55 points and four podiums.

Alonso remained with Renault for the 2004 season, and although he did not win any race, Alonso did confirm his status as one of the leading drivers in Formula One. He ended the year a career-best fourth in the championship standings, scoring 59 points and four podiums. His performances in the latter races of the year were particularly noteworthy, as he comprehensively outpaced his new teammate (1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve, who replaced Jarno Trulli for the final three races of the season.)

Fernando's success has spawned "Alonsomania" in Spain, as he has become the country's first Formula One World Champion.

2005

For the 2005 championship season, he is joined by Italian Giancarlo Fisichella. He finished third in the first race in Australia. In the second race of the season in Malaysia he got pole position and easily won the race. Alonso repeated this form in the season's third race, winning the Bahrain Grand Prix from pole position, and continued his good form with a close win over Michael Schumacher in the San Marino Grand Prix after an epic battle with the 7-time World Champion lasting about 13 laps. Unfortunately, he did not win at his home grand prix in front of his fans, finishing only second after Kimi Räikkönen.

Two weeks later, Monaco proved to be an exercise of damage limitation for Alonso. The tide of the championship began to turn as Räikkönen won again at Monaco while Alonso finished in fourth place, which was quite remarkable as he had almost no grip on his tyres. However, at the European Grand Prix Nürburgring Räikkönen crashed out in spectacular fashion whilst leading on the final lap giving the win to the fortunate Alonso. The Canadian Grand Prix was not as successful for Alonso (or Renault, for that matter) - in part, due to mechanical difficulties during the race. Alonso led the race briefly after his teammate's car failed to finish the race, but Alonso himself retired soon after; crashing into the wall and damaging his suspension, after coming under pressure from the McLarens of Juan Pablo Montoya and Räikkönen, and making a mistake. It was his first retirement of the year.

At the United States Grand Prix, due to safety concerns over the Michelin tyres, Alonso, along with all the other Michelin drivers, did not start.

Alonso took his third pole position of the season at the French Grand Prix, and led the race from start to finish, winning his fifth race of the season. It was the first time the Renault team both carmaker and engine had won the French GP since 1983 by Alain Prost, and it came when there was no French driver in the field. He followed this with pole position a week later at the British Grand Prix, where he finished a conservative second behind a McLaren-Mercedes, as Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya took his first victory of 2005. In the German Grand Prix he had a good start when he moved from third to second, and it looked certain that Kimi Räikkönen would win the race, but he had a hydraulic failure, that put Alonso in lead. Alonso did not waste the chance and won the race (his sixth of the season). Alonso then celebrated his 24th birthday two days before the Hungarian Grand Prix but finished 11th and out of the points after colliding with the Toyota of Ralf Schumacher.

However, Renault and Alonso refused to let their misfortune dampen their spirits. With only 6 races remaining, Alonso and Renault's sights were set on the inaugural Turkish Grand Prix. Renault was ready to attack. Alonso started third on the grid behind teammate Giancarlo Fisichella. At the end of the race Alonso luckily took 2nd place from Juan Pablo Montoya after the Colombian ran wide in Turn 8 as a result of an accident with Jordan driver Tiago Monteiro.

In Monza, the Tifosi came in full force but it was the McLarens who dominated Saturday’s qualifying session. Fernando Alonso was 2nd behind Montoya’s McLaren after Räikkönen was penalized 10 places after an engine change. Alonso smartly drove a perfect race despite being significantly slower than his top rivals to finish 2nd. Kimi Räikkönen however, had to settle for 4th after tyre problems and a spin near the end of the race. With four races to go, Alonso has a 27-point advantage to the Finn and is even closer to winning the title.

In Spa-Francorchamps, Alonso moved even closer to becoming Formula 1's youngest world champion with a cool, calculated performance that left rival Kimi Räikkönen with little to cheer about despite a second straight victory at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Alonso moved up from fourth place on the grid to finish second behind the McLaren-Mercedes of Räikkönen after Montoya's accident with Antonio Pizzonia few laps before the end. The 24-year-old Spaniard qualified on pole, but finished 3rd in the Brazilian Grand Prix to clinch the the Driver's Championship title at the age of 24 years and 59 days old, thus breaking Emerson Fittipaldi's record of being the youngest F1 champion in history by about 18 months.

Fernando Alonso firmly cemented his name as one of the most gifted drivers that anyone can remember, Alonso, a 24-year-old Spaniard, has led the championship almost from the start of the season, ending the 5-year dominance of Michael Schumacher.

"I just want to dedicate this championship to my family, and all my close friends who have supported me through my career. Spain is not a country with an F1 culture, and we had to fight alone, every step of the way, to make this happen. A huge thank-you should also go to the team as well - they are the best in Formula One, and we have done this together. It will say that I am world champion, but we are all champions - and they deserve this." -Fernando Alonso-

Laurels

He has been awarded the 2005 Prince of Asturias Award of Sports, the youngest to receive the prize.

Also, recently before the closing of the 2005 season, retired three-times F1 title holder Niki Lauda, hailed Alonso as:

"perfect, the most complete performer in Formula One today and thoroughly deserving of becoming the 2005 world champion. Yet I also have to say that Alonso is extraordinary. The more pressure he has the better he drives. I've never seen any driver of that age so completely composed and consistent. OK, so he made one slip at Montreal [when he hit the wall] but, speaking for myself, I reckon that I would have made many more mistakes if I'd been in that position at that age. I cannot find a single weakness in Alonso from any viewpoint. He's obviously a huge asset to the Renault team but more importantly a huge asset to the sport as a whole. I think he is perfect."

While he was managing the Brazilian team in the inaugural race of the A1 Grand Prix at Brand's Hatch, Emerson Fittipaldi was asked to comment on his feelings about possibly losing the record to Alonso, to which he replied, "In him [Alonso], I know that my record is in safe hands."

Podiums and wins

Fernando Alonso driving for the Renault Formula One team at the 2004 US Grand Prix

Formula One career results

  • 2001 - Minardi-European - 0 wins, 0 points, 0 fastest laps (finished unclassified)
  • 2003 - Renault - 1 win, 55 points, 2 poles, 1 fastest lap (finished 6th)
  • 2004 - Renault - 0 wins, 59 points, 1 pole, 0 fastest laps (finished 4th)
  • 2005 - Renault - 6 wins, 117 points, 5 poles, 2 fastest laps (Champion - still in progress)

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fernando Alonso.
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