Fernando Alonso: F1 Bio, Stats & Career Timeline

Fernando Alonso is a two-time Formula 1 World Champion and Spanish racing driver for Aston Martin. Born on 29 July 1981 in Oviedo, Asturias, Alonso holds the record for the most Grand Prix starts in Formula 1 history, and is widely regarded as one of the most complete drivers of his generation, having competed and won at the highest level across four different decades.

Early Life and Junior Career

Alonso began karting at age seven, mentored by Genis Marco after being spotted by his family's motorsport connections in Asturias. He won three consecutive Spanish Junior National Karting Championships between 1993 and 1995, the CIK-FIA Five Continents Cup in 1996, and both the Italian and Spanish International A karting championships in 1997. Moving to single-seaters in 1999, he won the Euro Open by Nissan title on his car-racing debut with Campos Motorsport, a result that earned him his first Formula 1 test with Minardi. In 2000 he jumped straight into International Formula 3000, finishing fourth as the youngest driver in the field.

Formula 1 Debut, Minardi and Renault (2001–2006)

Alonso made his Formula 1 debut with Minardi in 2001, then spent 2002 as Renault's test and reserve driver before earning a race seat in 2003, winning at the Hungarian Grand Prix to become, at the time, the youngest race winner in F1 history. He went on to win back-to-back World Drivers' Championships with Renault in 2005 and 2006, ending Michael Schumacher and Ferrari's run of dominance and becoming the youngest double World Champion the sport had seen.

McLaren, Ferrari, and a Return to McLaren (2007–2018)

Alonso moved to McLaren in 2007 to partner rookie Lewis Hamilton in a famously combustible title fight that went to the final round. He returned to Renault for 2008 and 2009 before signing with Ferrari in 2010, where he narrowly missed out on further titles in 2010 and 2012. He rejoined McLaren in 2015 for a difficult Honda-powered era, before stepping away from full-time Formula 1 racing at the end of 2018 to pursue endurance and oval racing, including Indianapolis 500 campaigns and a World Endurance Championship title with Toyota, winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in both 2018 and 2019.

Return to F1: Alpine and Aston Martin (2021–Present)

Alonso returned to Formula 1 in 2021 with Alpine, taking his first podium in seven years at the Qatar Grand Prix. He moved to Aston Martin for 2023, immediately re-establishing himself as a front-running force with multiple podiums in his first season with the team and finishing fourth in the championship — his best result in a decade. He surpassed his 100th career podium at the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and became the first driver to reach 400 Grand Prix starts. He remains with Aston Martin for 2026, continuing to hold F1's all-time record for race starts.

Personal Life

Alonso has one child and has previously been married to singer Raquel del Rosario. Outside Formula 1, he has built one of the most diverse resumes in motorsport history, with wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the WEC title alongside his ongoing pursuit of the "Triple Crown" of motorsport via multiple Indianapolis 500 attempts. In 2015, his hometown of Oviedo opened the Museo y Circuito Fernando Alonso in his honour.

Key Career Facts at a Glance

• Full name: Fernando Alonso Díaz
• Nationality: Spanish
• Born: 29 July 1981, Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
• Team: Aston Martin Aramco-Honda
• Car number: 14
• F1 debut: 2001 Australian Grand Prix
• Career starts: 430
• Career wins: 32
• Career podiums: 106
• Career pole positions: 22
• World Championships: 2 (2005, 2006)