Fernando Alonso Daz, born 29 July 1981, is a Spanish racing driver who currently competes in Formula One for Aston Martin.
He won the World Drivers’ Championship with Renault in 2005 and 2006, and he has also driven for McLaren, Ferrari, and Minardi.
Alonso won the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice with Toyota, in 2018 and 2019, as well as the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2018-19.
In 2019, he won the 24 Hours of Daytona with Wayne Taylor Racing.
Early life and Education
Alonso was born on July 29, 1981, in Oviedo, Asturias, Northern Spain, to a working-class family.
He is the son of José Luis Alonso, a mine shaft explosives factory mechanic and amateur kart driver, and Ana Daz, a department store salesperson.
Lorena, Alonso’s elder sister, is a doctor.
He was educated at the Holy Guardian Angel Primary School in Oviedo from 1985 to 1995 under the Basic Education System.
Alonso attended the Institute Leopoldo Alas Clarín of San Lazaro until his career in motor racing caused him to leave.
He was granted a permit to study away from school after he disobeyed his mother’s orders and seldom attended classes.
He achieved a good academic performance by asking his classmates for notes and was unproblematic.
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Career
Alonso started karting at the age of three and went on to win local, national, and world championships.
He began racing at the age of 17, winning the Nissan Euro Open in 1999 and finishing fourth in the International Formula 3000 Championship in 2000.
He made his Formula One debut in 2001 with Minardi before joining Renault as a test driver in 2002.
Alonso, who was promoted to a race seat in 2003, won two drivers’ titles in 2005 and 2006.
Becoming the sport’s youngest pole-sitter, youngest race winner, youngest world champion, and youngest two-time champion at the time.
After finishing one point behind eventual champion Kimi Räikkönen with McLaren in 2007.
Alonso returned to Renault for 2008 and 2009, winning two races and finishing fifth overall in the former year.
From 2010 to 2014, Alonso drove for Ferrari, finishing second to Sebastian Vettel in 2010, 2012, and 2013, with title challenges in 2010 and 2012 going down to the final race of the season.
A second term with McLaren from 2015 through 2018 ended in failure.
After a two-year hiatus, Alonso will return to Formula One with Alpine in 2021.
Alonso won his first podium in seven years at the Qatar Grand Prix in 2021.
He broke the Formula One record for most starts at the 2022 Singapore Grand Prix.
Alonso finished third in the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to earn his 100th podium, becoming one of only six drivers in series history to do so.
Personal Life
Alonso was married to Raquel del Rosario, the lead singer of the Spanish pop band El Sueo de Morfeo, from November 2006 to December 2011.
He has been in a relationship with Austrian television presenter Andrea Schlager since 2022.
Alonso is a fan of the Real Madrid and Real Oviedo football teams, as well as a cyclist.
He stands 174 cm (5’9″) tall and is fluent in English, French, Italian, and Spanish.
References:
- Wikipedia: Fernando Alonso
- Formula 1: Fernando Alonso
- Race Fans: Fernando Alonso
- Itsportshub: Fernando Alonso
- Instagram: Fernando Alonso
