 |
| Team |
Renault |
| Nationality |
Spanish |
| Podiums |
49 |
| Points |
490 |
| Grand Prix entered |
105 |
| World Championships |
2 |
| Wins |
19 |
| Pole Positions |
17 |
| Date of Birth |
29/07/1981 |
| Place of Birth |
Oviedo |
|
 |
When he joined McLaren for 2007, Fernando Alonso was the defending double world champion, the man who had seen off Michael Schumacher, and the undisputed benchmark for the next generation.
Twelve months of controversy and drama later, Alonso must rebuild his reputation at Renault.
Unnerved by both Lewis Hamilton's phenomenal speed and the British rookie's virtually familial relationship with McLaren, Alonso's season fell apart amid extraordinary off-track rancour, and uncharacteristic on-track raggedness.
There was no way back for Alonso once he had reopened the spy case by threatening to ‘shop' his own team to the FIA.
The saddest part about the epic petulance was that it so often overshadowed Alonso's still-outstanding driving.
For amid all the turmoil, he still came within a point of a third consecutive title and took four superb wins, headlined by his swashbuckling late charge at a damp Nurburgring.
Renault is confident that it can bring the best out of Alonso – and with good reason after their previous relationship saw such phenomenal success.
Career log
The future champion entered F1 at the underprivileged end of the pit lane in 2001, driving for a Minardi team that had been on the brink of folding two months earlier.
Its hastily-built chassis should have been slowest by far, yet Alonso dragged it to the brink of the top ten on occasion.
Renault boss Flavio Briatore was searching for a ‘new Schumacher' – a burgeoning superstar to build his revitalised team around.
Alonso ticked all the right boxes.
After an educational year as Renault's test driver, he made an explosive return to racing in 2003.
His first pole and podium came in Malaysia, then lapped Michael Schumacher on the way to his maiden win in Hungary.
A less impressive 2004 proved to be just a blip, as Alonso swept all before him in 2005.
Renault hit the ground running, and Alonso took three straight wins early on.
By mid-season Kimi Raikkonen's McLaren was often the fastest package, but Alonso pounced whenever the fragile McLaren faltered, and duly became the youngest ever world champion.
Alonso then stunned F1 by announcing he would leave for McLaren after one more season with Renault.
But he gave Renault the perfect farewell present in the form of a second consecutive title.
His contest with Schumacher and Ferrari in the second half of 2006 made 2005 look like child's play.
Schumacher had a large performance advantage over the summer, and everything seemed to be conspiring against Alonso, who had again dominated the opening rounds.
But the Spaniard kept his composure amid some questionable official decisions and appalling misfortune, and when Ferrari stumbled at the final hurdle, he became a double world champion.
The early years
A karting ace in his teens, Alonso did not dally for long in the junior formulae.
He won the Spanish-based Formula Nissan series in 1999 and then got straight amongst the experienced drivers in Formula 3000 – ending his debut season with a crushing victory at Spa.
Alonso would have been a clear favourite for the 2001 title, but by that time he had already tested impressively for Minardi and F1 beckoned instead.
View Site Map
|
