Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso Díaz (Spanish pronunciation: [feɾˈnando aˈlonso ˈði.aθ] ^ⓘ; born 29 July 1981) is a Spanish racing driver who competes in Formula One for Aston Martin. Alonso has won two Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won in 2005 and 2006 with Renault, and has won 32 Grands Prix across 23 seasons. In endurance racing, Alonso won the 2018–19 FIA World Endurance Championship and is a two-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Toyota, and remains the only driver to have won both the Formula One World Drivers' Championship and the World Sportscar/World Endurance Drivers' Championship; he also won the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2019 with WTR.

Born and raised in Oviedo to a working-class family, Alonso began kart racing aged three and won the CIK-FIA Five Continents Cup in 1996. He progressed to junior formulae aged 17, winning the Euro Open by Nissan in 1999 before finishing fourth in International Formula 3000. Alonso signed for Minardi in 2001, making his Formula One debut at the Australian Grand Prix. After a non-scoring rookie season, he joined Renault as a test driver before his promotion to a full-time seat in 2003; he became the then-youngest polesitter and race winner at the Malaysian and Hungarian Grands Prix, respectively, before achieving several podiums across his 2004 campaign. Alonso won his maiden title after winning seven Grands Prix in 2005, becoming the first World Drivers' Champion from Spain and the then-youngest in Formula One history, aged 24. He successfully defended his title from Michael Schumacher in 2006. Alonso moved to McLaren for 2007, finishing one point behind champion Kimi Räikkönen and returning to Renault amidst inter-team tensions. He won multiple races in 2008—including the controversial Singapore Grand Prix—before enduring a winless 2009 campaign.

Alonso signed for Ferrari in 2010, finishing runner-up to Sebastian Vettel by four points in the third-placed F10. He took a single victory in 2011 as Red Bull consolidated their advantage, before finishing runner-up to Vettel again in 2012 and 2013—the former by three points and the latter in the third-placed F138. After a winless 2014 season amidst new engine regulations, Alonso returned to McLaren under Honda power in 2015. He remained with the team until the end of 2018, resulting in limited success, before his first retirement. Alonso then moved into sportscar racing with Toyota, winning the FIA World Endurance Championship, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice. He returned to Formula One in 2021 with Alpine, recording his first podium in seven years at the Qatar Grand Prix, and breaking the record for most career starts in 2022. Alonso moved to Aston Martin for his 2023 campaign, achieving several podiums as he finished fourth in the World Drivers' Championship; he scored his 100th career podium at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. In 2024, he became the first driver to contest 400 Grands Prix.

As of the 2026 Chinese Grand Prix, Alonso has achieved 32 race wins, 22 pole positions, 26 fastest laps, and 106 podiums in Formula One. Alonso is contracted to remain at Aston Martin until at least the end of the 2026 season. In addition to holding the most race starts (427), his longevity has broken several Formula One records. Alonso won the 2001 Race of Champions Nations' Cup, and entered the Indianapolis 500 in 2017, 2019 and 2020. He runs a driver management firm and has been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 2005. Alonso has been awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sports Merit and twice been inducted into the FIA Hall of Fame.

Alonso was born on 29 July 1981 to a working-class family in Oviedo, Asturias, Northern Spain. He is the son of the mine shaft explosives factory mechanic and amateur kart driver José Luis Alonso, and his wife, the department store employee Ana Díaz. Alonso has an elder sister, Lorena, who is a doctor.

Alonso was educated at the Holy Guardian Angel Primary School (Spanish: Santo Ángel de la Guarda) in Oviedo from 1985 to 1995 under the Basic Education System (Spanish: Educación General Básica). Alonso attended the Institute Leopoldo Alas Clarín of San Lazaro (Spanish: Instituto Leopoldo Alas Clarín de San Lázaro) until his career in motor racing caused him to leave during his Curso de Orientación Universitaria (English: University Orientation Course) in 2000. 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.

Alonso's father wanted a hobby to share with his children and built a go-kart for Lorena. She was uninterested in karting and a three-year-old Alonso received the kart. The kart's pedals were modified for drive-ability, and the local racing federation granted him a mandatory kart racing license aged five; his father rejected an offer for his son to be a goalkeeper for the RC Celta de Vigo football club. The family lacked the finances required to develop him in karts; they could not purchase rain tyres and forced Alonso to adapt to a wet track on slick tyres. Alonso devised three timing sectors going to school to improve himself daily. His mother sewed his racing overalls and adjusted them as he grew; she also ensured Alonso was academically well off. His father steered the kart early on and was his accountant, counsellor, manager and mechanic.

Aged seven, Alonso won his first kart race in Pola de Laviana. He won the 1988 and 1989 children's junior Championship of the Asturias and Galicia, and progressed to the Cadet class in 1990. Go-kart importer Genís Marcó was impressed by Alonso and mentored him; kart track owner José Luis Echevarria told him about Alonso. Marcó found personal and sponsorship money for Alonso's family to defray financial concerns and allow him to enter European series. He spoke to the six-time Karting World Champion Mike Wilson, who gave Alonso a test session at a track in Parma. Marcó taught Alonso to be conservative and maintain the condition of a kart.