Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso Díaz was born on July 29, 1981, in Oviedo, Asturias, Spain. He began karting at the age of three on a kart built by his father José Luis, and by the time he was a teenager, he was dominating the Spanish and European karting championships. His transition to single-seaters was equally impressive, winning the Formula Nissan championship and the Formula 3000 Euro Series.

Alonso made his F1 debut with Minardi in 2001 at just 19 years old, impressing enough with the backmarker team to earn a move to Renault as a test driver in 2002 and a race seat in 2003. That year, he became the youngest pole-sitter in F1 history at the Malaysian Grand Prix and the youngest race winner at the Hungarian Grand Prix — records that have since been broken.

The 2005 season cemented Alonso's legend. He won the World Championship with Renault at the age of 24, becoming the youngest champion in F1 history at the time and ending Michael Schumacher's five-year reign. He defended his title in 2006 in a fierce battle with Schumacher, winning his second consecutive championship.

His move to McLaren in 2007 was turbulent. Paired with rookie Lewis Hamilton, the two engaged in a bitter intra-team rivalry that tore the team apart and culminated in the "Spygate" controversy. Alonso left McLaren after just one season and returned to Renault for 2008-2009, winning races but unable to challenge for the title.

The Ferrari years (2010-2014) saw Alonso deliver some of the greatest individual performances in F1 history, consistently extracting more from the car than it deserved. He came agonisingly close to winning the championship in 2010 and 2012, losing out in the final race both times. Many consider his 2012 season — where he led the championship in what was at best the third-fastest car — to be the greatest individual campaign in F1 history.

Alonso then spent four difficult years at McLaren-Honda (2015-2018), enduring woeful reliability and performance. During this period, he expanded his horizons, competing in the Indianapolis 500 in 2017 (leading before an engine failure), winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2018 and 2019 with Toyota, and competing in the Dakar Rally.

His return to F1 with Alpine in 2021 after a two-year absence proved that age was no barrier to performance. He continued to race at the sharp end, delivering brilliant performances like his defensive masterclass at the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix that helped teammate Ocon win.

Alonso moved to Aston Martin in 2023, scoring multiple podiums early in the season and proving he remained one of the fastest drivers on the grid. Now in his mid-40s, he continues to race with an intensity and hunger that has earned him universal respect across the paddock. He is widely regarded as one of the most complete and talented racing drivers in the history of Formula 1.