Fernando Alonso
Alonso at the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix
Nationality	Spanish
Car #	5
Current team	Renault F1
Formula One World Championship career
Races	112 (111 starts)
Championships	2 (2005, 2006)
Wins	19
Podium finishes	49
Pole positions	17
Career points	499
Fastest laps	11
First race	2001 Australian Grand Prix
First win	2003 Hungarian Grand Prix
Latest win	2007 Italian Grand Prix
Latest race	2008 Canadian Grand Prix
2007 position	3rd (109 pts)

Fernando Alonso Díaz (born July 29, 1981 in Oviedo, Spain) is a Spanish Formula One racing driver and a two-time world champion. The 2008 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 8 June, 2008 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montréal Canada The FIA Super Licence is a qualification allowing the Licence holder to take part in Formula One Grands Prix as a driver Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. 1970s and 1980s 1977 Renault first involvement in Formula One was made by the Renault Sport subsidiary The Formula One World Drivers' Championship (WDC is awarded by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile ( FIA) to the most successful Formula One "F1 2005" redirects here For the video games based on the 2005 Formula One season see F1 05 & F1 Grand Prix. "F1 2006" redirects here For the video games based on the 2006 Formula One season see F1 06 & F1 CE. The term " pole position " comes from the Horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole In motorsport, the fastest lap is the quickest lap run during a race The 2001 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on March 4, 2001 at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit. The 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on August 24, 2003 at the Hungaroring. The 2007 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held from 7 to 9 September 2007 at Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Italy The 2008 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 8 June, 2008 at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montréal Canada Pre-season testing Pre-season testing began in November 2006 at the Circuit de Catalunya, with ten of the eleven teams participating in the test sessions Events 1014 - Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars: Battle of Kleidion: Byzantine emperor Basil II inflicts a decisive defeat Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Oviedo ( Asturian: Uviéu is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.

On September 25, 2005 he won the World Driver's Championship title at the age of 24 years and 58 days, thus breaking Emerson Fittipaldi's record of being the youngest F1 champion and is also the youngest double champion. Events 303 - On a voyage preaching the Gospel, Saint Fermin of Pamplona is beheaded in Amiens, France Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Formula One World Drivers' Championship (WDC is awarded by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile ( FIA) to the most successful Formula One Emerson Fittipaldi (born December 12, 1946 in São Paulo, Brazil) is a highly successful Brazilian automobile racing driver winning world championships In 2007, he became the second F1 driver, after Michael Schumacher, to score at least 100 points for three consecutive seasons. Michael Schumacher (German pronunciation;) (born January 3, 1969, in Hürth-Hermülheim, Germany) is a former Formula Nicknamed El Nano, Alonso acts as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF^[1] and is one of the directors of the GPDA. The United Nations Children's Fund (or UNICEF) was created by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946 The Grand Prix Drivers' Association (often shortened to just GPDA) is effectively the " union " of Formula One drivers

Personal and early life

Fernando Alonso was born in Oviedo, Asturias in northern Spain. Oviedo ( Asturian: Uviéu is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain. The Principality of Asturias ( Spanish: Principado de Asturias, Asturian: Principáu d'Asturies or Asturies) is an Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. His mother worked in a department store and his father was employed as a mechanic in an explosives factory near Oviedo. ^[2] Alonso has an older sister, Lorena. Alonso's father José Luis, an amateur kart racer, wanted to pass on his passion to his children. He built a kart, originally meant for eight-year-old Lorena, but unlike her three-year-old brother, she showed no interest in the sport. ^[2]

Alonso rumoured to be married to Raquel del Rosario, lead singer of Spanish pop band El Sueño de Morfeo ^[3]. Raquel del Rosario Macías (born November 3, 1982) is a Spanish Singer. El Sueño de Morfeo is a Spanish Celtic / pop / rock band Formed in 2004, their first single Nunca Volverá was instant sales The two apparently married in November 2006. ^[4]

He currently lives in Oxford, England, and owns a house near Lake Geneva, Switzerland. Oxford is currently bidding for the 2010 Wikimania Conference Oxford () is a city, and the County town of Oxfordshire, England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Lake Geneva or Lake Léman (Lac Léman Léman Lac de Genève is the second largest freshwater Lake in Central Europe in terms of surface area (after Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation He supports Liverpool football club. Liverpool Football Club are an English professional Association football club based in Liverpool England.

Pre-Formula One

As a child, Alonso participated in karting competitions around Spain, supported by his father, who also doubled as his mechanic. For other meanings see Kart (disambiguation Kart racing or karting is a variant of Open-wheel Motor sport with His family lacked the financial resources needed to develop a career in motorsport, but his victories attracted sponsorship and the required funds. Alonso won four Spanish championships back-to-back in the junior category, between 1993 and 1996 and the Junior World Cup in 1996. He won the Spanish and Italian Inter-A titles in 1997 and in 1998 won the Spanish Inter-A title again as well as finishing second in the European Championship.

Former Minardi F1 driver Adrián Campos gave Alonso his first test in a race car in October 1998. Minardi was an Automobile racing team and constructor founded in 1979 by Giancarlo Minardi. Racing career Early Years Campos' first success was in radio-controlled car racing winning the Spanish Championship in 1980 After three days of testing at the Albacete circuit, Alonso had matched the lap times of Campos' previous driver Marc Gené. Albacete is a city and Municipality in southeastern Spain, 278 km southeast of Madrid the capital of the province of Albacete in the autonomous Early years Gené finished runner-up in the 1987 Catalan Kart Championship (National Class at the age of 13; he would win both this and the National Class Spanish Kart ^[5] Campos signed Alonso to race for him in the 1999 Spanish Euro Open MoviStar by Nissan series. Renault_World_Series_Donington_2007jpg|left|thumb|World Series by Renault at Donington Park in 2007 ^[6] In his second race, again at Albacete, Alonso won for the first time. He took the championship by one point from championship rival Manuel Giao by winning and setting fastest lap at the last race of the season. Alonso also tested for the Minardi Formula One team, lapping 1. Minardi was an Automobile racing team and constructor founded in 1979 by Giancarlo Minardi. 5 seconds faster than the other drivers at the test. ^[6]

The following season Alonso moved up to Formula 3000, which was often the final step for drivers before ascending to Formula One. Alonso joined Team Astromega and was the youngest driver in the series that year by eleven months. Team Astromega is a racing team from Belgium, headquartered in Heist-op-den-Berg and created in 1995 by Mikke Van Hool. ^[6] Alonso didn't score a point until the seventh race of the year, but in the final two rounds he took a second place and a victory, enough for him to end the season fourth overall behind Bruno Junqueira, Nicolas Minassian and Mark Webber. Bruno Junqueira (born November 4, 1976 in Belo Horizonte) is a Brazilian racecar driver currently competing in the IRL IndyCar Nicolas Minassian (born February 28, 1973 in Marseille) is a French race driver of Armenian descent Early career Mark Webber was born in Queanbeyan, New South Wales, son of Alan the local Motorcycle dealer ^[6]

Formula One

2001: Minardi

See also: Minardi

Alonso was the third-youngest driver ever to start a F1 race when he made his debut with Minardi at the 2001 Australian Grand Prix. Minardi was an Automobile racing team and constructor founded in 1979 by Giancarlo Minardi. The 2001 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on March 4, 2001 at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit. The team was in its first season under the control of new owner Paul Stoddart and their new car, the PS01, was neither fast nor reliable. Paul Stoddart, born May 26, 1955, is an Australian millionaire airline magnate and former owner of the Minardi Formula One racing However Alonso's qualifying performance was good, at his first race he out-qualified team mate Tarso Marques by 2. Tarso Anibal Santanna Marques (born January 19, 1976 in Curitiba) is a Racing driver from Brazil. 6s. At the fourth round at Imola he outqualified both of the Benettons, a feat he repeated later in the season. Imola ( Iômla in the local dialect is a town Comune in the Province of Bologna, located on the Santerno river in the Emilia-Romagna ^[6]

Notable performances over the 2001 season had earned him some attention from the faster teams. It was reported in September 2001 by some of the European press that Sauber were looking to replace outgoing Kimi Räikkönen with the Spaniard although he was facing competition for the seat from Felipe Massa and then Jaguar test driver Andre Lotterer. Sauber is a Swiss constructor of racing cars for Sportscar racing and Formula One. Kimi-Matias Räikkönen (ˈkimi ˈmɑtiɑs ˈræikkønen born October 17, 1979 in Espoo) is a Finnish Formula One race car driver currently Felipe Massa (born in São Paulo April 25, 1981) is a Brazilian Formula One racing driver currently employed by the Ferrari Complete Formula One results ( key) (results in bold indicate pole position André Lotterer (born 19 November 1981 in Duisburg) is a German auto racing driver ^[7] A month later it was confirmed that Massa was going to take the vacant Sauber seat for 2002. ^[8]

In September, his manager Flavio Briatore had begun planning to place Alonso at Benetton. Flavio Briatore (born April 12, 1950) is an Italian businessman Briatore considered promoting Alonso for 2002, in place of his race driver Jenson Button, but instead chose to take Alonso on as a full-time test driver for 2002. Jenson Alexander Lyons Button, often called Jense, (born 19 January, 1980) is a British Formula One racing driver from England ^[6] At the final round of 2001 at Suzuka he finished eleventh — five places outside the points but ahead, on merit, of Heinz-Harald Frentzen’s Prost (with a Ferrari engine), the BAR-Honda of Olivier Panis, the two Arrows and Alex Yoong (his new team mate). The 2001 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on on October 14, 2001 at the Suzuka Circuit. Early career Frentzen was born in the West German city of Mönchengladbach ( North Rhine-Westphalia) to a German undertaker and a Spanish mother Prost Grand Prix was a Formula One racing team managed by former world champion Alain Prost. Scuderia Ferrari is the name for the Gestione Sportiva the division of the Ferrari automobile company concerned with racing British American Racing was a Formula One constructor that competed in the sport from 1999 to 2005 Honda Racing F1 Team is a Formula One team run by Japanese car manufacturer Honda. Olivier Panis, born in Oullins Lyon, 2 September, 1966, is a French Racing driver. Arrows Grand Prix International was a Formula One team active from 1977 to 2002 Alexander Charles Loong Yoong (aka Alex Yoong) ( born July 20 1976, is a Malaysian Race car driver ^[6] Four years later, his team boss from the Minardi days, Paul Stoddart, described his race as "53 laps of qualifying". Paul Stoddart, born May 26, 1955, is an Australian millionaire airline magnate and former owner of the Minardi Formula One racing ^[9]

2002–2006: Renault

See also: Renault F1

2002–2003

Alonso in 2004

Alonso became test driver for Renault in 2002 (Renault having taken over the Benetton team) and did 1,642 laps of testing that year. 1970s and 1980s 1977 Renault first involvement in Formula One was made by the Renault Sport subsidiary 1970s and 1980s 1977 Renault first involvement in Formula One was made by the Renault Sport subsidiary In 2003 Briatore dropped Button and put Alonso in the second seat alongside Jarno Trulli. Jarno Trulli (born July 13[[ 974]] age) is an Italian Formula One Auto racing driver currently driving for the Toyota team ^[6]

The Spaniard became the youngest driver to achieve a Formula One pole position at the 2003 Malaysian Grand Prix. The term " pole position " comes from the Horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole The 2003 Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on March 23, 2003 at the Sepang International Circuit. Alonso had a 180mph crash at the 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix, the result of missing the double yellow flags and Safety Car boards brought out by Mark Webber's earlier crash and colliding with the debris. The 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on April 6, 2003 at Autódromo José Carlos Pace (Interlagos In Motorsport, a safety car or pace car is a car which limits the speed of competing cars on a racetrack in the case of a caution period such Early career Mark Webber was born in Queanbeyan, New South Wales, son of Alan the local Motorcycle dealer ^[10] The race was red-flagged. He finished second at his home grand prix two races later, and became the youngest driver to win a Formula One race at the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix. The 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on August 24, 2003 at the Hungaroring. He finished the year sixth in the championship, with 55 points and four podiums.

2004

Fernando Alonso driving for the Renault Formula One team at the 2004 United States Grand Prix. 1970s and 1980s 1977 Renault first involvement in Formula One was made by the Renault Sport subsidiary The 2004 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on June 20, 2004 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis,

Alonso remained with Renault for the 2004 season. Drivers and constructors The following teams and drivers competed in the 2004 FIA Formula One World Championship. In the early part of 2004 questions were asked of Alonso when he was generally out-qualified by teammate Jarno Trulli. Jarno Trulli (born July 13[[ 974]] age) is an Italian Formula One Auto racing driver currently driving for the Toyota team However towards the end of the year Trulli's performance deteriorated and he dropped Renault boss Flavio Briatore as his manager. Trulli's relationship with the team deteriorated to the extent that he signed for Toyota from 2005 onwards. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Alonso ended the year fourth in the championship standings, scoring 59 points and four podiums.

2005

For the 2005 season, Alonso was joined at Renault by highly rated Italian driver Giancarlo Fisichella. "F1 2005" redirects here For the video games based on the 2005 Formula One season see F1 05 & F1 Grand Prix. Giancarlo Fisichella (born January 14, 1973 in Rome, Italy) also known as Fisico or Fisi, is an Italian racing At the first race in Australia Alonso started near the back due to rain in qualifying but fought his way to third. The 2005 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit on March 6, 2005. He won the next two races in Malaysia and Bahrain from pole position, and took a third win in the San Marino Grand Prix after a 13-lap battle with Michael Schumacher. Results from the 2005 Malaysian Grand Prix held at Sepang on March 20, 2005. The 2005 Bahrain Grand Prix was a Formula One race held from April 1 to April 3 2005 at Bahrain International Circuit. The 2005 San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One race held from April 22 to April 24 2005 at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari. Michael Schumacher (German pronunciation;) (born January 3, 1969, in Hürth-Hermülheim, Germany) is a former Formula

McLaren's improving form saw Räikkönen win in Spain and Monaco while Alonso finished second and fourth, respectively. McLaren, founded in 1963 by New Zealander Bruce McLaren (1937&ndash1970 is a Formula One team based in Woking, Surrey, UK The 2005 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One race held from May 6 to May 8 2005, at Circuit de Catalunya. The 2005 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on May 20 May 22, 2005 at the Circuit de Monaco. Räikkönen was on course to win the European Grand Prix at the Nürburgring when his car's front-right suspension failed (due to a flat spot on the tyre caused by Räikkönen 'locking' it while passing Jacques Villeneuve) on the last lap, giving victory to Alonso. The 2005 European Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on May 29, 2005 at the Nürburgring. The Nürburgring, known as simply " The Ring " by enthusiasts is a Motorsport Race track in Nürburg, Germany.

Alonso at the 2005 United States Grand Prix. The 2005 United States Grand Prix was one of the most controversial

Alonso failed to score in the Canadian and United States Grands Prix. The 2005 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on June 12, 2005 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The 2005 United States Grand Prix was one of the most controversial He crashed out of the former, and in the latter all the Michelin runners withdrew due to safety concerns over their tyres. Michelin (full name SCA Compagnie Générale des Établissements Michelin) ( based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne Région

Alonso took his third pole position and fifth win at the French Grand Prix. The 2005 French Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on July 1 July 3, 2005, at Magny-Cours. He followed this with pole position a week later at the British Grand Prix, where he finished a second behind Montoya. The 2005 British Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 8 July 10 July 2005 at Silverstone. McLaren's poor reliability granted another win to Alonso at the German Grand Prix when Kimi Räikkönen's car suffered hydraulic failure. The 2005 German Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on July 22 July 24 2005, at Hockenheimring.

He qualified 6th in the Hungarian Grand Prix but finished 11th after a collision with the Toyota of Ralf Schumacher. The 2005 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on July 31, 2005 at the Hungaroring circuit Ralf Schumacher (born June 30, 1975 in Hürth-Hermülheim near Cologne is a German racing driver and the younger brother of seven-time

As the season entered its final stages Alonso finished second in three consecutive races, collecting vital championship points. Räikkönen won in Turkey and Belgium, but was fourth at Monza after engine trouble in qualifying, meaning Alonso's lead had been reduced by only one point. The 2005 Turkish Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on August 21 at the Istanbul Racing Circuit in Istanbul, Turkey. The 2005 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on September 11, 2005 at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Spa, Belgium The 2005 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on September 4, 2005 at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza circuit

Alonso sealed the title by finishing third in Brazil while Montoya won from Räikkönen. The 2005 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on September 25 at Autódromo José Carlos Pace in São Paulo, Brazil The Spaniard became the youngest Drivers' Champion at the age of 24 years and 59 days old, breaking Emerson Fittipaldi's record. Emerson Fittipaldi (born December 12, 1946 in São Paulo, Brazil) is a highly successful Brazilian automobile racing driver winning world championships He also ended the 5-year dominance of Michael Schumacher.

Commenting on his victory, he said: "I just want to dedicate this championship to my family, and all my close friends who have supported me through my career. Spain is not a country with an F1 culture, and we had to fight alone, every step of the way, to make this happen. A huge thank-you should also go to the team as well — they are the best in Formula One, and we have done this together. It will say that I am world champion, but we are all champions — and they deserve this. " In the May 2007 issue of F1 Racing, Alonso said that the 2005 Brazilian Grand Prix was his greatest race. F1 Racing is a monthly Magazine focused on Formula One Racing which launched in March 1996 He said, "It was a dream come true and a very emotional day. In the last few laps I leaped, thinking I could hear noises from the engine- from everywhere! But all was okay and I can remember my relief when I crossed the finish line. "

The Japanese and Chinese Grands Prix saw Alonso and Renault abandon the conservative style evident in Brazil when he was still chasing the drivers' title. The 2005 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on October 9, 2005 at the Suzuka Circuit The 2005 Chinese Grand Prix was a Formula 1 event lasting from October 14 to October 16, 2005 at the Shanghai International Circuit Starting from 16th on the grid, he eventually finished third behind Räikkönen and Fisichella. The Chinese Grand Prix saw Renault and Alonso win to claim the first Constructor’s Championship for the Renault F1 team.

In 2005, he was awarded with the Sports Prince of Asturias Award. The Prince of Asturias Awards ( Spanish: Premios Príncipe de Asturias, Asturian: Premios Príncipe d'Asturies) is a series of prestigious annual ^[11]

2006

Alonso won the 2006 title at the Brazilian Grand Prix. The 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on October 22, 2006 at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo

Alonso won the first race of the 2006 Formula One season at Bahrain, overtaking Michael Schumacher after coming out of the pit lane with 18 laps left, after starting fourth. "F1 2006" redirects here For the video games based on the 2006 Formula One season see F1 06 & F1 CE. The 2006 Bahrain Grand Prix was the first round of the 2006 Formula One World Championship held on March 12, 2006 at the Bahrain International Circuit He qualified seventh at the Malaysian Grand Prix due to a fuelling error^[12][13] but finished second to team mate Giancarlo Fisichella. The 2006 Malaysian Grand Prix was the second Formula One Grand Prix of the 2006 season He won the Australian Grand Prix after overtaking leader Jenson Button's Honda. The 2006 Australian Grand Prix was the third race of the 2006 Formula One World Championship. Jenson Alexander Lyons Button, often called Jense, (born 19 January, 1980) is a British Formula One racing driver from England

After poor qualifying at San Marino, Alonso was unable to pass Michael Schumacher in an encounter that echoed their battle the previous year. The 2006 San Marino Grand Prix was the fourth race of the 2006 Formula One World Championship. Schumacher beat Alonso again in the European Grand Prix after the Spaniard started on pole. The 2006 European Grand Prix was the fifth race of the 2006 Formula One World Championship. But Alonso hit back, becoming the first Spaniard to win his home race on May 14, 2006 in the Spanish Grand Prix. Events 1264 - Battle of Lewes: Henry III of England is captured in France making Simon de Montfort the Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The 2006 Spanish Grand Prix was the sixth race of the 2006 Formula One World Championship.

He took pole position for the Monaco Grand Prix after Schumacher was penalised by the stewards for "deliberately [stopping] his car on the circuit in the last few minutes of qualifying", denying his rivals, Alonso included, the opportunity of recording fastest qualifying lap. The 2006 Monaco Grand Prix was the seventh race of the 2006 Formula One World Championship ^[14] Alonso won the race.

He extended his winning streak to four races with victories in Britain and Canada. The 2006 British Grand Prix was the eighth race of the 2006 Formula One World Championship. The 2006 Canadian Grand Prix was the ninth race of the 2006 Formula One World Championship. Both wins came from pole position, and the British round was his first win, pole and fastest lap treble.

At the Canadian Grand Prix, Alonso took his 6th victory of the year. The 2006 Canadian Grand Prix was the ninth race of the 2006 Formula One World Championship.

Schumacher's fight back began at Indianapolis where the German won and Alonso was fifth. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway Indiana (an Enclave of Indianapolis) in the United States, is the home of the Schumacher won the French Grand Prix, with Alonso in second, and the Spaniard was fifth in the German Grand Prix. The 2006 French Grand Prix was the eleventh race of the 2006 Formula One season. The Grosser Mobil 1 Preis von Deutschland ( Mobil 1 Grand Prix of Germany) was the twelfth race of the 2006 Formula One season. ^[15] That cut Alonso's championship lead to 11 points.

Alonso incurred a penalty for an infraction in practice at the Hungarian Grand Prix which left him 15th on the grid. The 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on August 6, 2006 at the Hungaroring, Budapest. ^[16] Schumacher started 11th after receiving a similar penalty. ^[17] Alonso looked set for an unlikely win as he overtook most of the field, including Schumacher around the outside of turn five, as he showed prowess in the wet conditions. But he crashed out of the race when a wheel nut fell off his car following a pit stop. Schumacher scored one point after Robert Kubica was disqualified. Robert Kubica ( /'rɔbɛrt ku'bitsa/ ("koo-bit-sa" born December 7, 1984 in Kraków, Poland) is the first Polish ^[18]

Alonso finished second in Turkey, holding back third-placed Schumacher to claim two vital points. The 2006 Turkish Grand Prix was the fourteenth race of the 2006 Formula One season. But he lost a lot of ground after a controversial Italian Grand Prix. The 2006 Italian Grand Prix was the fifteenth race of the 2006 Formula One season. He suffered a puncture during qualifying that damaged bodywork at the back of his car. He qualified fifth but was later punished^[19] by the stewards for impeding Felipe Massa's Ferrari,^[20] and he started the race from the 10th position. Felipe Massa (born in São Paulo April 25, 1981) is a Brazilian Formula One racing driver currently employed by the Ferrari In the race he rose to third place before an engine failure forced him to withdraw. Schumacher won the Grand Prix and cut Alonso's Championship lead to two points.

At the following round in China, Alonso took pole position during a wet qualifying session but finished second to Schumacher in the race. The 2006 Chinese Grand Prix was the sixteenth race of the 2006 Formula One season. The result tied Alonso and Schumacher on points in the drivers championship.

At the Japanese Grand Prix, the Ferraris of Schumacher and Massa qualified first and second, more than half a second faster than the Renaults in fifth and sixth. The 2006 Japanese Grand Prix was the seventeenth race of the 2006 Formula One season. But during the race Alonso rose to second and took the win after Schumacher's engine failed. It gave him a ten point advantage over Schumacher, needing only one point from the final round to retain the title.

Second place in the Brazilian Grand Prix on October 22 gave Alonso the championship. The 2006 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on October 22, 2006 at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo Events 202 BC - Hannibal Barca, leader of the Carthaginians, is defeated by the Roman legions under Scipio Africanus With Schumacher finishing fourth, the final difference was 13 points. Alonso thus became the youngest double champion in the sport's history. Renault also clinched the Constructors' Championship with a 5-point gap over Ferrari.

2007: McLaren

See also: McLaren

Alonso at the 2007 Malaysian Grand Prix, his first victory for McLaren. McLaren, founded in 1963 by New Zealander Bruce McLaren (1937&ndash1970 is a Formula One team based in Woking, Surrey, UK The IX Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix was a Formula One Motor race, held on 8 April, 2007 at the Sepang International Circuit and the second race

Alonso finished second in the 2007 British Grand Prix. The 2007 British Grand Prix was the ninth race of the 2007 Formula One season.

On December 19, 2005, Fernando Alonso announced that he would be moving to McLaren for 2007. Events 324 - Licinius abdicates his position as Roman Emperor. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[21] His contract with Renault was set to expire on December 31, 2006 However, on December 15, 2006, Alonso was allowed by Flavio Briatore and the Renault F1 Team to test for one day for McLaren in the Jerez circuit, as a result of his successes with Renault. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 533 - Byzantine general Belisarius defeats the Vandals, commanded by King Gelimer, at the Battle of Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Circuito Permanente de Jerez is a 4428 m (2752- Miles racing circuit located in the city of Jerez de la Frontera, deep within the Sherry -producing Driving an unbranded MP4-21 and wearing a plain white helmet and overalls, Alonso completed 95 laps. Complete Formula One results ( key) (results in bold indicate pole position ^[22] Lewis Hamilton was chosen as his partner for the season. Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born Stevenage, 7 January 1985 McLaren were reported to be paying Alonso £ 20 million (approx $ 39 million c. The Pound Sterling ( symbol £; ISO code: GBP) subdivided into 100 pence (singular penny) is the Currency 2007) in 2007. Alonso debuted with the new McLaren car on January 15, 2007, in the streets of Valencia. Events 588 BC - Nebuchadrezzar II of Babylon lays siege to Jerusalem under Zedekiah 's reign Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Valencia ( Valencian: València, Valencia Spanish phonology --> is the capital of the Spanish autonomous

On 8 April 2007 in his second race for the team, Fernando secured his first win for McLaren, and the team's first since 2005 with a commanding drive at Sepang. Events 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian The IX Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix was a Formula One Motor race, held on 8 April, 2007 at the Sepang International Circuit and the second race A difficult drive at Bahrain's Sakhir circuit on 15 April, saw him finishing 5th behind his rookie team mate who took a podium finish. Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English In the fourth race of the year in Spain, his home grand prix, he qualified second. He had a first lap collision with Felipe Massa which caused some damage to his car and dropped him to fourth. He finished the race third. On May 27, Fernando secured his second victory for McLaren at Monaco, scoring pole position, fastest lap and the race win and in the process lapping the entire field up to 3rd position. The 2007 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race and was the fifth round of the 2007 Formula One season. At the Nürburgring he took his third win of the year in a dramatic race affected by intermittent rain showers, overtaking Ferrari's Felipe Massa for the lead with just four laps remaining. The 2007 European Grand Prix was the tenth race of the 2007 Formula One season. Felipe Massa (born in São Paulo April 25, 1981) is a Brazilian Formula One racing driver currently employed by the Ferrari After the controversy at the 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix (see below), however, relations between Alonso and his team declined. The 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix was the eleventh race of the 2007 Formula One season. It was reported in the media that he was no longer on speaking terms with Hamilton,^[23] and it was speculated that he may leave McLaren at the end of the season. ^[24] On 7 August 2007 The Times reported that McLaren would let Alonso leave the team at the end of the season if he wished, two years earlier than his contract allowed. The Times is a daily national Newspaper published in the United Kingdom since 1785 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. ^[25].

As part of the espionage controversy between McLaren and Ferrari, the former were found guilty of breaching the Article 151c of the FIA's sporting regulations but went unpunished due to a lack of evidence. The 2007 Formula One espionage controversy also known as "Spygate" involves allegations that the McLaren Formula One team was passed confidential technical However, following the acquisition of new evidence by the FIA, a new hearing was held on September 13. Events 509 BC - The Temple of Jupiter on Rome 's Capitoline Hill is dedicated on the ides of September The new evidence consisted largely of email traffic between Alonso and test driver Pedro de la Rosa. Pedro Martínez de la Rosa (born February 24 1971 in Barcelona, Spain) is a Spanish Formula One driver currently ^[26] The FIA's World Motor Sport Council report following the hearing stated that Alonso and de la Rosa had obtained and used confidential Ferrari technical data and sporting strategy information from senior McLaren engineer Mike Coughlan via Ferrari employee Nigel Stepney, including during test sessions. Mike Coughlan (born February 17, 1959) is a race car designer Nigel Stepney is an English born former Formula One mechanic Stepney started in Formula One as a mechanic at Shadow in 1977 then followed Elio Both drivers were spared sanctions in exchange for providing evidence.

On 2 November 2007, after a turbulent year with McLaren, it was announced that McLaren and Alonso had mutually agreed to terminate his contract and that he would be free to join any team for 2008 without paying McLaren any compensation. Events 1570 - A Tidal wave in the North Sea devastates the coast from Holland to Jutland, killing more than 1000 ^[27]

2008: Return to Renault

Alonso testing for Renault in January 2008. 1970s and 1980s 1977 Renault first involvement in Formula One was made by the Renault Sport subsidiary

Alonso was linked with several teams for the 2008 season after his split with McLaren. Renault, Red Bull, Toyota and Honda were all suggested in the media. Renault's Flavio Briatore stated that he would welcome Alonso's return to the French team. On 10 December 2007, the Telegraph online news service reported that, according to "a newspaper report in Spain" Fernando Alonso had signed a two-year contract to drive for Renault F1 along side Brazilian driver Nelson Angelo Piquet for around £25 million. 1970s and 1980s 1977 Renault first involvement in Formula One was made by the Renault Sport subsidiary Nelson Ângelo Tamsma Piquet Souto Maior (born July 25 1985 in Heidelberg, Germany) also known as Nelson Piquet Junior or Nelsinho ^[28][29]

However, after the first two rounds of the 2008 Season, Fernando was not enjoying life at the top as he is used to. Pre-season testing The first multi-team test session started in Jerez on January 14 2008. He has come 4th and 8th in Australia and Malaysia respectively. The 2008 Australian Grand Prix was the first race of the 2008 Formula One season, and was won by McLaren - Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton. The 2008 Malaysian Grand Prix was the second race of the 2008 Formula One season. There have been rumours that he could replace Felipe Massa at Ferrari in 2009, especially in light of the general belief that there is an "out clause" in Fernando Alonso's contract with Renault which would give him the freedom to move to another team for the next season should he be able to secure a deal. Felipe Massa (born in São Paulo April 25, 1981) is a Brazilian Formula One racing driver currently employed by the Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari is the name for the Gestione Sportiva the division of the Ferrari automobile company concerned with racing Teams Teams Signed with FOM The following teams are signed with Formula One Management to compete in the 2009 season However Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has stated that Massa's seat in the team is secured and will stay that way until the end of his contract in 2010. Luca Cordero di Montezemolo (born August 31, 1947) is an Italian businessman with an estimated net worth of 400 million dollars president of Ferrari

On 6 April 2008, in the 2008 Bahrain Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton ran into the back of Alonso's Renault, heavily damaging the rear wing of the Spaniard's car, as well as his own nosecone. Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats Caecilius Metellus Scipio and Marcus Porcius Cato in the Battle of Thapsus The 2008 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race and was the third round of the 2008 Formula One season. Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born Stevenage, 7 January 1985 Stewards did not seek to investigate the incident but critics alleged he braked (or didn't accelerate as expected) in front of Lewis Hamilton causing Hamilton to crash into him ^[30]. Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born Stevenage, 7 January 1985 Since then telemetric data from Alonso's car have proven these accusations wrong ^[31]. Hamilton himself stated "I was behind him, and I moved to the right, and he moved to the right and that was it - a racing incident I guess"^[32]. It was later revealed by McLaren that Hamilton's front wing, which was damaged when he hit Alonso ealier in the race, had broken seconds before the impact and has been identified as the cause of the crash. Alonso started the 2008 Spanish Grand Prix with promising pace, qualifying on the front row in second place behind Kimi Räikkönen. The Spanish Grand Prix ( Español Gran Premio de España, Català Gran Premi d'Espanya) is a Formula One Alonso was running in a solid fifth place when the Renault engine blew up with 31 laps to go in the 66 lap race.

The 2008 Monaco Grand Prix was a spectaluar one. The 2008 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race and the sixth round of the 2008 Formula One season. In qualifying Alonso managed to secure 7th position on the grid, in dry weather conditions. Race Day began with Intermediate tyres due to early showers, and Alonso mangaged to get into 4th place after the first corner. Rain tyres or Wet tyres are special tyres used in Motor sport in wet weather as opposed to a Slick tyre used in dry conditions Then Nico Rosberg, braked late around the hairpin chicane touching Alonso but no damage done. Nico Rosberg (born June 27, 1985) is a Racing driver for the Williams Formula One team Few laps later, Alonso kissed the barrier deflating the rear right tyre but managed to get out of pits in 7th position. A good overtaking move on Mark Webber, earned him 6th place, but this time around the hairpin, Alonso made an ambitious overtaking move causing Nick Heidfeld to go over his front wing , ruining all chances. Early career Mark Webber was born in Queanbeyan, New South Wales, son of Alan the local Motorcycle dealer Nick Lars Heidfeld, frequently referred to as Quick Nick, (born May 10 1977 in Mönchengladbach, West Germany) is a German Alonso went on to finish in 10th place behind Kimi Räikkönen. Kimi-Matias Räikkönen (ˈkimi ˈmɑtiɑs ˈræikkønen born October 17, 1979 in Espoo) is a Finnish Formula One race car driver currently

Records and achievements

• Youngest World Champion: 24 years, 59 days in 2005
• Youngest double World Champion: 25 years, 85 days in 2006
• Youngest driver to start from pole position: 21 years, 237 days at the 2003 Malaysian Grand Prix
• Youngest driver to score a podium finish: 21 years, 237 days at the 2003 Malaysian Grand Prix
• Youngest winner: 22 years, 26 days at the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix
• Second youngest driver to start from the front row of the grid: 21 years, 237 days at the 2003 Malaysian Grand Prix (behind Ricardo Rodríguez: 19 years, 208 days)
• Second youngest driver to set fastest lap: 21 years, 321 days at the 2003 Canadian Grand Prix (behind Nico Rosberg: 20 years, 258 days)
• Second driver (after Michael Schumacher) to score 100 or more points for three consecutive seasons (in 2005, 2006 and 2007)
• Second highest number of podium positions in a season: 15 in 2005 (behind Michael Schumacher: 17 in 2002)
• Second highest number of consecutive podium positions: 15 in 2005-2006 (behind Michael Schumacher: 19 in 2001-2002)
• Third highest points total in one season: 134 in 2006 (behind Michael Schumacher: 148 in 2004 and 144 in 2002)
• Third youngest to start a race at 19 years, 218 days at the 2001 Australian Grand Prix (behind Mike Thackwell: 19 years, 182 days and Ricardo Rodríguez: 19 years, 208 days)
• Highest paid racer for his record breaking signing with the depleted Renault team for 2008-2009

Controversies

• At the 2003 European Grand Prix, David Coulthard and McLaren managing director Martin Whitmarsh accused Alonso of giving Coulthard a brake test. The Formula One World Drivers' Championship (WDC is awarded by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile ( FIA) to the most successful Formula One "F1 2005" redirects here For the video games based on the 2005 Formula One season see F1 05 & F1 Grand Prix. "F1 2006" redirects here For the video games based on the 2006 Formula One season see F1 06 & F1 CE. The term " pole position " comes from the Horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole The 2003 Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on March 23, 2003 at the Sepang International Circuit. The 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on August 24, 2003 at the Hungaroring. The 2003 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on June 15, 2003 at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Nico Rosberg (born June 27, 1985) is a Racing driver for the Williams Formula One team Michael Schumacher (German pronunciation;) (born January 3, 1969, in Hürth-Hermülheim, Germany) is a former Formula Pre-season testing Pre-season testing began in November 2006 at the Circuit de Catalunya, with ten of the eleven teams participating in the test sessions The 2001 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on March 4, 2001 at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit. Michael Thackwell (born March 30, 1961) is a former Formula One driver from Auckland, New Zealand. 1970s and 1980s 1977 Renault first involvement in Formula One was made by the Renault Sport subsidiary The 2003 European Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on June 29, 2003 at the Nürburgring. David Marshall Coulthard, often called DC, (born 27 March 1971 in Twynholm, Kirkcudbrightshire) is a British Formula One racing driver McLaren, founded in 1963 by New Zealander Bruce McLaren (1937&ndash1970 is a Formula One team based in Woking, Surrey, UK Martin Whitmarsh (born April 29 1958) is the CEO of the McLaren Formula One team A brake test is a term used in Motorsport. A driver is said to brake test another driver when the two drivers are driving very close together and the front driver deliberately ^[33]
• At the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix, Alonso was involved in an incident in which he brake tested Red Bull Racing test driver Robert Doornbos in the second free practice session. The 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on August 6, 2006 at the Hungaroring, Budapest. Red Bull Racing is one of two Formula One teams owned by Austrian Beverage company Red Bull. Robert Michael Doornbos ( (born September 23 1981) is a Dutch Racing driver. The Stewards decided that Alonso’s actions were “unnecessary, unacceptable and dangerous”, and awarded him a one second time penalty to be applied to his fastest lap time in each of the qualifying sessions. ^[16]
• After a separate incident from the same race, when Michael Schumacher was asked whether he thought Alonso slowed down on purpose so that Schumacher had to pass him under red flags in practice Schumacher replied, "You said that, I didn't. Michael Schumacher (German pronunciation;) (born January 3, 1969, in Hürth-Hermülheim, Germany) is a former Formula "^[34]
• In the 2006 Italian Grand Prix, after stewards ruled Alonso had potentially blocked Felipe Massa in Saturday qualifying and relegated him five places on the starting grid, Alonso stated "I love the sport, love the fans coming here — a lot of them from Spain but I don't consider Formula One like a sport any more". The 2006 Italian Grand Prix was the fifteenth race of the 2006 Formula One season. Felipe Massa (born in São Paulo April 25, 1981) is a Brazilian Formula One racing driver currently employed by the Ferrari ^[19]
• During the aftermath of the 2007 European Grand Prix Alonso accused Felipe Massa of trying to hit him off the track when he passed him around the outside of turn 5 in the wet. The 2007 European Grand Prix was the tenth race of the 2007 Formula One season. Felipe Massa (born in São Paulo April 25, 1981) is a Brazilian Formula One racing driver currently employed by the Ferrari The two had a row in front of the cameras immediately before the podium proceedings. [1] Alonso and Massa later apologised.
• In the qualifying for the 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix, while both McLarens were in the pits, Alonso remained stationary in the McLaren pit for a fews seconds. The 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix was the eleventh race of the 2007 Formula One season. This delayed the then provisional pole sitter (and his team mate), Lewis Hamilton long enough to prevent him from getting another 'hot lap' in. Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton (born Stevenage, 7 January 1985 Alonso then went on to claim pole. ^[35] McLaren boss Ron Dennis later said the team had got "out of sequence" when Hamilton did not as agreed allow Alonso past earlier in the qualifying session. Ron Dennis CBE (born June 1, 1947) is the Chairman, CEO and 15% owner of the McLaren Group. He added that Alonso was "under the control of his engineer" when he was waiting in the pit lane. ^[36] However, Alonso was subsequently given a five-place grid penalty^[37] and his McLaren team were docked the 15 constructors' World Championship points they would have earned in the race. ^[38]
• As result of this investigation, it emerged that some people within McLaren, among them Alonso, were aware of confidential information belonging to the Ferrari team. This information was commented on to Alonso by McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rosa who had also received information from McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan. Pedro Martínez de la Rosa (born February 24 1971 in Barcelona, Spain) is a Spanish Formula One driver currently The email contained text suggesting that Alonso was surprised by the data and doubted its authenticity. According to the "spygate" related email exchanges between Alonso and de la Rosa, it was clear that Alonso knew about Ferrari's pit strategies in the Australian Grand Prix and Bahrain Grand Prix. The 2007 Formula One espionage controversy also known as "Spygate" involves allegations that the McLaren Formula One team was passed confidential technical Alonso finished 2nd and 5th respectively in those races. ^[39] Ron Dennis told FIA about the case during the Hungaroring GP after alleging that Alonso threatened him to report the team to FIA himself if he wasn't given number one status within the McLaren team, while Alonso declared that false and asked FIA to show evidence of his innocence; FIA then revealed that it had had knowledge of the case thanks to a slip made by Coughlan. The Hungaroring is a Formula 1 racing circuit in Mogyoród, near Budapest, Hungary where the Hungarian Grand Prix is held ^[40]

Racing record

Career summary

* Season in Progress

Complete Formula One results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

* Season in progress

See also

• List of Formula One drivers
• List of Spaniards
• Alonsomania

References

External links

• The official site for Fernando Alonso