Fernando Alonso

Driver for Scuderia Ferrari

Fernando Alonso Profile

Basic Facts

Birth date : July, 29th 1981
Birth place : Oviedo
Country : Spain
Marital status : Married
Height : 171 cm
Weight : 68 kg

Early Years

His first official win came in June 1988, at Pola de Laviana, on his debut in a junior category event as part of the Asturias championship. Fernando went on to win all remaining seven races, thus taking his first title. The following two years brought further victories in the Asturias, Navarra and Basque regional championships, before moving on to the national series in 1991. From 1993 to 1996, Fernando was crowned Spanish junior champion, but more importantly, he began to make his mark at international level: third in the ’95 World Championship and first the following year. In 1997, the young Spaniard took the titles in his home country and in Italy in the Inter-A category: he took the former title again in 1998, when he also came second in the European championship. It was in October of this year that Fernando drove a real race car for the first time: at Albacete, Adrian Campos ran him for three days at the wheel of a Formula Nissan and, at the end of the test, Fernando’s times were on a par with those of Marc Gene, who had taken pole position in the same car a few days earlier. This performance earned him a seat in the Campos team for the following year’s Euro Open championship, which he won as he pleased.

Formula 1

On the 13th December 1999, at Jerez, the Minardi team gave Fernando his first taste of driving a Formula 1 car, as part of a test session for young hopefuls and the Spaniard was easily quickest. In 2000, he raced in Formula 3000, finishing fourth, as well as winning on the most challenging circuit, namely Spa. In the meantime, Minardi put him under contract to race in Formula 1 the following year. In 2002, his manager, Flavio Briatore, secured him the role of test driver for Renault, which would prove useful experience, when he became a race driver for the French team the next season. He gained his spurs that year, taking pole at Sepang, second place in Barcelona and a win in Hungary, finishing sixth in that year’s championship.

After consolidating his reputation in 2004, he took his first title in 2005, with one round remaining, after a duel with Kimi Raikkonen’s McLaren, winning seven races on the way. He did the double twelve months later, again in Brazil, but this time battling a rival by the name of Michael Schumacher in a Ferrari. In 2007, his move to McLaren ended prematurely, for well documented reasons. Fernando won four Grands Prix, with the title going down to a three-way battle with team-mate Hamilton and eventual winner Raikkonen in the Ferrari

Ferrari

On 30th September came the announcement that he was moving to Ferrari until the end of the 2012 season.

"Maranello, 30th September 2009 - Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro announces that it has reached an agreement with the driver Fernando Alonso. The agreement covers three racing seasons, starting in 2010.

The Scuderia's driver line-up next season will therefore be made up of Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso, with Giancarlo Fisichella in the role of reserve driver.

Kimi Raikkonen will leave the team at the end of this current season, after what has been a rewarding and fruitful partnership, which saw him win the Drivers' title in 2007. He also played a key role in Ferrari's taking of the Constructor's title that same year and in 2008.

"We are very proud to welcome to our team another winning driver, who has demonstrated his amazing talent by winning two World Championships in his career to date," said Stefano Domenicali. "Of course, we wish to thank Kimi for everything he has done during his time with Ferrari: in his first year with us, he managed to win the Drivers' title, thus making his contribution to Ferrari's history and he played a vital role in our taking of the Constructors' title in 2007 and 2008. Even during a difficult season like this one, he has demonstrated his great talent, with several good results, including a great win in Spa and we are sure that we can share more good times together in the final three races of this season."

"With common consent, we have agreed to terminate the contract binding me to Ferrari to the end of 2010, one year ahead of schedule," said Kimi Raikkonen. "I am very sad to be leaving a team with which I have spent three fantastic years, during which time I won plenty of races. Together, we have won 50% of the world titles in that period and I managed to take the Drivers' title in 2007, thus achieving the target I had set myself at the start of my career. I have always felt at home with everyone here and I will have many happy memories of my time with the team." \"