Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso Diaz is a Spanish racing driver who competes in Formula One of Aston Martin, driving the No. 14 car. Born on July 29, 1981, Alonso is the oldest driver on the grid in the 2024 Formula One season. He has two Formula One World Drivers’ Championship titles which he won in 2005 and 2006 with Renault. Alonso drove for Ferrari from 2010 to 2014 and was a runner-up in the championship to Sebastian Vettel in 2010, 2012, and 2013.

The two-time world champion retired in 2018 while driving for McLaren but returned in 2021 with the Alpine F1 team. With Alpine, Alonso broke the record for most starts in Formula One. In 2023, the driver moved to Aston Martin and scored his 100th podium at the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix by finishing third, becoming one of six drivers in the championship history books to achieve that record.

Fernando Alonso's Early Life

Alonso’s father rejected an offer for his son to be a goalkeeper for the RC Celta de Vigo football club. Alonso pursued karting with his school studies, while his mother ensured he was academically well off. He first experienced a kart when his father built a go-kart for Alonso’s elder sister Lorena, but she was uninterested, and hence, a three-year-old Alonso laid his hands on the kart.

At age seven, Alonso won his first kart race in Pola de Laviana and won the 1988 and 1989 children’s junior championships of the Asturias and Galicia. His consistency led him to win the 1990 Asturias and the Basque Country Cadet Championship and finish second in the 1991 Spanish Cadet National Championship. Alonso served as a mechanic to younger kart drivers to earn money.

Alonso made his car racing debut in the 1999 Euro Open by Nissan with Campos Motorsports at age 17 and won the title at the final race of the season. He later moved to a higher division International Formula 3000 Championship with the Minardi-backed Team Astromega. Alonso’s first-ever Formula One car experience came in December 1999 during a test at the Circuito de Jerez. Renault signed Alonso in 2002 as a test driver and promoted him to the Renault race team in 2003.

Fernando Alonso’s Personal Life

Besides his Formula One career, Alonso is also a cycling enthusiast. He also has an interest in football and supports Real Madrid and Real Oviedo. Given he is a Formula One driver, Alsono has a very tasteful set of personal cars in his garage including the McLaren P1, Ferrari 458 Italia, Nissan GT-R, and Honda NSX.

Fernando Alonso’s Family Background

Born to parents- Jose Luis Alonso and Ana Diaz, Alonso belonged to a working-class family in Oviedo, Asturias. Alonso's father was a mine shaft explosives factory mechanic and an amateur kart driver. Alonso has an elder sister named Lorena, for whom his father built a go-kart. Lorena was uninterested in the kart, hence, Alonso got his hands on it at three years old. Alonso’s mother worked at a department as a store employee. She was a crucial support system in Alonso’s life in managing school, studies, and racing.

Fernando Alonso’s Wife/Girlfriend

Alonso was married to the lead singer of the Spanish pop band El Suenoo de Morfeo from November 2006 to December 2011. Later he was engaged to Spanish television presenter Lara Alvarez from 2015 to 2016. From 2016 to 2021, Alonso dated an Italian model Linda Morselli.

Fernando Alonso’s Kids

Despite his past relationships, the two-time world champion does not have any kids.

Fernando Alonso’s Social Media

Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/fernandoalo_oficial/?hl=en

X- https://x.com/alo_oficial?lang=en

Alonso has 7.2 million followers on Instagram and 3.8 million followers on X. The two-time world champion is active on both of his social media platforms, sharing glimpses of his life inside the high-octane tracks of Formula One.

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Fernando Alonso’s Net Worth

Alonso has a net worth of $33 million as per Forbes. His income is mainly from his career as a Formula One driver, having won two Formula One Drivers’ World Championships. He has also done business with Banco Santander, Cajastur, Tag, Europcar, Heuer, Liberbank, ING, Chandon, Adidas, and Bang & Olufsen. Alonso also earns from the FA Racing G2 Logitech G eSports racing team, being the team principal, his team competes in virtual online racing championships. He is also an investor and board member of the eSports multi-racing platform Motorsport Games.

Every year from 2012 to 2018, Alonso has been listed as one of the World’s highest-paid athletes by Forbes. He also featured on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list in 2008 and 2017 and was sponsored by Ruoff Mortgage for his Indianapolis 500 in 2020.

Fernando Alonso Brand Ambassador

Alonso is the founder and brand ambassador of the fashion retailer Kimoa. In February 2005, the UNICEF Spanish Committee named Alonso a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

Fernando Alonso Investments

Alonso has been active in the business field as well. He has done business with Banco Santander, Cajastur, TAG Heuer, Europcar, Silestone, Liberbank, ING, Chandon, Adidas, and Bang and Olufsen. Alonso also invested and established the Fernando Alonso Cycling Team to compete in UCL events in 2015 before it failed to come into play.

Alonso established the FA Racing G2 Logitech G eSports racing team of which he is the team principal and competes in virtual online racing championships.

Fernando Alonso Career Stats

Alonso has won the Formula One Drivers’ Championship twice in 2005 and 2006 with Renault. He has 399 entries so far in Formula One with 32 wins, 106 podiums, 22 pole positions, and 26 fastest laps.

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Fernando Alonso Race Wins

Alonso has won 32 races in his Formula One career to date. His wins are as follows:

Fernando Alonso Contract

Alonso switched to Aston Martin from Alpine for 2023. Aston Martin has been doing well with Alonso as their driver, landing fifth in the constructors’ standings. The two-time world champion has agreed to a multi-year deal with the Silverstone outfit until 2026.

Fernando Alonso’s Awards

Due to Alonso’s skillful driving and consistency, he has been awarded many times. Some of his awards are listed below:

1. 2003 Autosport Gregor Grant

2. 2003 Princess Cristina National Sports Award

3. 2005 Lorenzo Bandini Trophy

4. Prince of Asturias Award for Sports (2005-2006)

5. Premios Nacionales del Deporte Sportsman of the Year Award (2005)

6. Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sports Merit (2005)

7. Autosport International Racing Driver of the Year (2006)

8. Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year (2017)

9. FIA Hall of Fame (2017 and 2019)

Fernando Alonso’s Diet

In an interview with Men’s Health, Alonso stated that he has switched to a vegetarian diet to keep his energy up. The two-time world champion also includes shakes in his diet, which has resulted in better sleep and energy levels.

Fernando Alonso’s Cars

The two-time world champion is fond of cars and has a bunch of them in his garage. Cars like the McLaren P1, Ferrari 458 Italia, Nissan GT-R, Aston Martin DBX, and Honda NSX can be found in his garage.