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Fernando Alonso (b. Oviedo, July 29, 1981) is a Spanish Formula One racing driver.
Early years
A native of Oviedo, 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, plaacing 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
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 his rookie season.
His driving talents earned him a spot with the newly-christened 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 failed to win a race, he 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 successful driver in Formula One history.
Formula One results
after Brazilian Grand Prix (October 24, 2004)
- Races Entered: 51
- Pole Positions: 3
- Race Wins: 1
- Podium Finishes: 8
- Fastest Laps: 1
- Championship Points: 114
Podiums and wins
Formula One career results
- 2001 - Minardi-European - 0 wins, 0 points (finished unclassified)
- 2003 - Renault - 1 win, 55 points, 2 poles (finished 6th)
- 2004 - Renault - 0 wins, 59 points, 1 pole (finished 4th)
External link
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