Biography of Fernando Alonso | Youngest

The Asturian is the youngest driver in history who has won a Grand Prix. Schumacher already considered to be his successor.

Fernando Alonso Díaz was born on July 29, 1981 in Oviedo, son of José Luis Alonso, then industrial master and now sporting director Adrian Campos Motorsport, and Ana Díaz, clerk at the English Court in the capital of Asturias. It has a sister five years older, Lorena, medical profession.

Despite his short career, Alonso already has a curriculum that exceeds by intensity and precocity of the great champions. At the age of three, his father gave him a go-kart that he himself had built. The stubby Alonso are infatuated with the 'toy' and began to become familiar with the smell of fuel. That same year he already won his first race, organized by a shopping centre and which involved children, nearly doubling her age. That gave him the courage to continue flying when he came out of the College, always guarded by his father, who already realised the innate qualities that had his son for the pilot. He devoted all his free time to the son, while he received an offer to join the Celta de Vigo as a goalkeeper, a position that was playing from a young age.

A precocious talent

From the age of four to fourteen (1985-1995) studied at the colegio Santo Angel de la Guarda, in Oviedo, where he attended elementary and primary education. He then attended the Institute Leopoldo Alas Clarín de San Lazaro, where he remained until 2000, year in which abandoned studies because the sporting commitments prevented him from further study, so even did the COU.

With seven years Alonso won in 1988, his first official race in karts, proclaimed champion child of Asturias after winning eight races that comprised the event. By then already wearing three years compulsory official license of the Spanish Federation. In it, the kid recognizes who is very conscious of his acts and that it shall be subject to all the rules. All falsified, clear.

Fernando Alonso

Their projection was brilliant, from city to city and from circuit to circuit, with an old Peugeot his father, driving while the other competitors arrived in Mercedes or BMW. His father was of mechanical and counselor. In 1989 was proclaimed champion of karting of Asturias and Galicia. The following year should compete because in the Cadet category, rather than for the modest family became prohibitive: «I bought him a go-kart at first hand and it should take care of it until the age of eighteen. We had to begin to compete in Europe and I had no money to deal with so many expenses,"has confessed to his father. When they had already decided to withdraw to the desperation of the lad of eleven years, arose the «miracle». Appeared Genis marked, importer of karts that infatuated qualities of lad, to the extent that it premiered a kart in each race and scored got you sponsors for trips or putting himself money from your pocket.

First podium

In the category Cadet proclaimed himself champion of Asturias and the Basque country in 1991, year in which was runner-up in Spain because it could not participate in some races. In 1993 and 1994 he won already two separate Championships of Spain in the junior category, which served as a passport to participate later in the World Championship.

Thus, with a salary of 100,000 pesetas per month and fourteen years, it became the Karting World Championship. It was his first participation and already rose to the podium as the third rated, ahead of another newcomer, its competitor in formula 1 Kimi Räikkönen. We are in 1995. At the end of that year it tested a Toyota with success. Mark offered to run the Formula 1 championship the following year, but Fernando, advised by his father, refused because economic conditions were ridiculous.

In 1996, continued disputing races of karting, and that same year proclaimed champion of Spain, summer trophy of Italy, of the Marlboro Grand Prix and, what is more important, the world champion in junior category. In 1997 he competed in the category international A, in which it is proclaimed champion of Spain, Italy and Europe.

In 1998, even in the same category, he was again champion of Spain, and also won the Paris-Bercy trophy, that of the industry in Italy and the Ford Open. Then appeared on the scene another key character in the career of Fernando, former Valencia driver of Minardi in formula 1 Adrián Campos, which would already be his shadow, and manager.

The forging of a champion

Fields knew Alonso since this was a child and continued his career thoroughly unless the person concerned will know. For 1999 he signed it as a substitute for Marc Gené in formula Nissan, single-seaters, a speed Championship for drivers, not for brands. Alonso got 9 pole positions, 8 fastest laps and 6 wins, giving him the title of champion Euro Open Movistar. He had no passport and only seventeen flew circuits over 250 kilometers per hour. He took out it is just reaching age eighteen, curiously driving a Renault Megane. The Professor warned that tests it was faster, because in practical classes I was going too slowly.

Alonso, with his first title of cars under the arm, should continue to make progress, and the natural step was formula 3000, which in 2000, the year of his debut, achieved his first victory in the Grand Prix of Belgium and was second in the Hungary, integrated into the team Astromega. This successful debut established him as a promise of formula 1, which debuted, after exercise as a Minardi - less competitive team - Tester, in the great award of Australia of 2001. Yet it took the maximum out of the car, finishing nine runs and overcoming widely and regularly to Tarso Marques, his teammate.

Alonso hailed by Asturian fans

After the experience with Minardi, Flavio Briatore, owner of Renault, which had signed for five years, called him from Minardi, where it was assigned, to exercise during the year 2002 as a tester of the French brand, with more than satisfactory results.

In 2003 it was already official pilot of Renault, a more competitive brand but far still from Ferrari, the Williams or McLaren. Soon became the revelation of the Championship, especially from that March 22, becoming the youngest driver to achieve pole position in the Grand Prix of Malaysia, where, with his third place, was also the first Spanish driver to take the podium. You got that pole at 21 years, 7 months and 22 days, widely exceeding who held the record, Rubens Barrichello (22 years, 3 months and 5 days) or champions as Jackie Ickx (23 years, 8 months and 3 days), Ayrton Senna (25 years and 1 month) and Michael Schumacher (25 years, 4 months and 12 days).

Throughout the campaign I would stress once again with a second place in the Grand Prize of Spain held in Montmeló, but above all in the great award of Hungary, where he won with authority and was crowned at the top of the formula 1 taking 26.6 seconds to its immediate competitor, Kimi Räikkönen, and folding anything less than the world champion , Michael Schumacher. With 22 years and 26 days Alonso entered in the history of formula 1 being the youngest to achieve victory, surpassing the record of Troy Ruttman (22 years and 80 days) and Bruce McLaren (22 years and 104 days), who won in 1952 and 1959.

All of these good results were that Fernando Alonso finished in a creditable sixth place worldwide, behind Ralf Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello. Without a doubt, was the revelation of the season and all to think that next year would be his final consolidation.

Nevertheless, during the 2004 world once more Schumacher was unbeatable and Alonso finished the season without being able to raise with no win. In the retina of many fans left, but their large racing driving like a true champion and the different podiums achieved in the circuits of England, France, Hungary and Austria. In this way, the Spanish pilot continued stressing and remained in fourth place in the Championship of the world, with 59 points.

Finally, in 2005, comes the consolidation of Fernando Alonso as a Formula 1 driver. This season is the most important Spanish motor racing to date by being the first in which a national pilot is very close of becoming world champion of the speciality. It was a certainly spectacular year for Alonso, who has managed to lay the Foundation of this great triumph since the preseason.

The first trainings of the 2005 season showed already a Fernando very well supported by his team and especially strong as the rival of the great Michael Schumacher: Jarno Trulli left Renault and Giancarlo Fisichella became his new partner. His new single-seater R-25 also helped pilot with spectacular changes on the car of last year: essentially a more powerful engine and aerodynamic improvements on the chassis to adapt to the FIM rules.

His splendid leadership has allowed Fernando Alonso poised to be nothing less than the first Spanish and the youngest rider to become world champion of the highest category of motor racing. They are counted the races in which he has not triumphed and numerous podiums has achieved. The large awards of Australia, Malaysia, Bahrain and San Marino (where he won after a thrilling duel with Schumacher), France, Germany and Spain have been some of their best victories of this year.

The personality of a leader

In 1999, Alonso met in a championship of karts that today is his girlfriend, Rebecca, music student at the Conservatory of Avilés, where he plays the cello. They are little, because Fernando lives in Oxford, where it has its headquarters team.

According to people in his inner circle has breed, character and an overweening self-confidence. It is convinced that no one can make the most out of he car driving. And, according to Adrián Campos and other experts, has a natural talent, which Fernando power with very hard training. Despite its serious nature in the circuits, it also has a charisma that falls in love with the people. With family and friends, it's Joker and fun. At home they nicknamed him Nano, its rivals Magic and press del Toro, because your far-reaching in a young man's height 1.71 and 70 kilos.

It's a passion for all sports, used as training. Practice cycling, tennis, swimming and football, in which his favourite team is Real Madrid. Its favorite food, apart from the Asturian dishes of his mother, is the pasta, loves horror movies, and his sports Idol par excellence is the cyclist who overcame cancer: American Lance Armstrong. Like him, it aspires to be a consummate champion, in another mode.

Chronology of Fernando Alonso

1981	Born in Oviedo.
1984	With only three years already leads his first kart, built by his father, and wins his first race.
1985-95	He studied primary education at the time competing in karting competitions.
1991	It is already champion of Karting in Asturias and Galicia in the Cadet category.
1993-94	Defeat in Spain of Karting Championships in junior category.
1995	Upload already on the podium (in third place) in his first participation in the World Championship of Karting.
1996	Win the world Karting Championships.
1999	He participated in formula Nissan with excellent results
2000	He debuted with success in Formula 3000. It is forced to drop out of school (did not finish the COU).
2001	Starts in formula 1 with Minardi.
2002	Renault test driver
2003	Official Renault pilot. Wins the Grand Prix of Hungary, bending to Schumacher himself, and younger history becomes the winner of a Grand Prix. Just the world in sixth position, with 55 points. In addition to winning the Grand Prix of Hungary, gets four podiums and two poles.
2004	Complete World Championship in fourth place with 59 points. He achieved a pole, is second in the Grand Prix of France and third in Austria, England and Hungary races.
2005	He leads the World Formula 1 achieving victories in the big awards in Malaysia, Bahrain, San Marino, France, and Germany.

Palmares of Fernando Alonso

Impressive palmares of the young Spaniard rider is starts, as of many brokers, with their triumphs in world of karting and its progressive rise by the categories before Formula one.

Karting

• Asturias champion in 1988 (child category)
• Champion of Asturias and Galicia in 1989 (child category)
• Champion of Asturias and the Basque country in 1990 (category Cadet)
• Spain runner-up in 1991 (category Cadet)
• Champion of Spain in 1993, 1994 and 1995 (category junior)
• Third place in the 1995 World Championship (category junior)
• Spain and the 1996 World Champion (category junior). It also expires in the Marlboro Grand Prix.
• Champion of Spain and Italy in 1997 (category Inter-A). Gets also nine victories at the European Championship.
• Spain champion and winner of Paris Berçi, of the industry and Ford Open trophies in 1998 (category a).

Single seaters

• Winner of the cars Euro-Open Movistar Championship in 1999.

Fernando Alonso

Formula 3000

• In the Championship of formula 3000 in the year 2000, gets the second position in the Grand Prix of Hungary and the first in the Grand Prix of Belgium.

Formula 1

• He debuted in Formula one in the year 2001 with the Minardi team, although it belongs to the Renault team, which handed it over.
• The team Renault test driver in 2002.
• Finally it becomes official driver of the Renault team in 2003, obtaining the first position in the Grand Prix of Hungary. Throughout the season he obtained in addition a second place and two third positions. In total he got 55 points and was sixth in the general classification of the World Championship.
• In the 2004 season gets placed fourth in the World Championship to achieve 59 points. Climb to the podium in the racing of France (where is second), Austria, England and Hungary.
• In 2005 it is about to get the title of world champion thanks to his victories in the great prizes in Europe, Malaysia, Bahrain, San Marino, France, and Germany. It also manages to get on the podium in Australia, Spain, Britain, Turkey and Italy.

Fernando Alonso with Rubens Barrichello

Extracted from the website: Biografías y Vidas