Nationality: Spanish
Birthday: 29 July 1981
Current team: Aston Martin
Previous teams: Minardi, Renault/Alpine, McLaren, Ferrari
Number: 14
Strengths: Racecraft, starts, adaptability, maximizing opportunities
Weaknesses: Age, impatience, diplomacy, pushing the engine too hard
Strongest tracks: Great Britain, Spain, Hungary, Singapore
Weakest tracks: Abu Dhabi, Belgium, Mexico
Statistics
Grand Prix wins: 32
Pole Positions: 22
Fastest laps: 26
Podiums: 106
World Championships: 2
F1 teammate record H2H
Total Q record: 286-112
Total R record: 250-115
| Teammate | Q record | R record |
| Stroll (2023-25) | 45-8 | 39-12 |
| Ocon (2021-22) | 22-21 | 21-21 |
| Vandoorne (2017-18) | 28-12 | 20-17 |
| Button (2015-16) | 22-11 | 17-16 |
| Raikkonen (2014) | 16-3 | 16-3 |
| Massa (2010-13) | 56-18 | 48-10 |
| Grosjean (2009) | 7-0 | 5-1 |
| Piquet Jr (2008-09) | 27-1 | 21-5 |
| Hamilton (2007) | 7-10 | 10-7 |
| Fisichella (2005-06) | 26-11 | 28-6 |
| Villeneuve (2004) | 2-1 | 3-0 |
| Trulli (2003-04) | 13-15 | 15-14 |
| Yoong (2001) | 3-0 | 2-0 |
| Marques (2001) | 12-1 | 5-3 |
Pre-F1 championship results
4th in International Formula 3000 (2000)
Won Euro Open by Nissan (1999)
Accomplishments in other series
Won Le Mans 2 times (2018, 2019)
Won WEC (2018-19 season)
Won 24 Hours of Daytona (2019)
Career analysis
Fernando Alonso is the most experienced driver in F1 history. After entering the pinnacle of motorsports in 2001, he quickly made a name for himself, primarily by qualifying his slow Minardi much higher than where it belonged. He had to sit out 2002 but was rewarded with a race seat with Renault the following year. Scoring a pole position in his just second race with Renault, and winning a race later in the year, Alonso established himself as a future star.
The rule regulations in 2005 gave him a car that could finally compete for a title. Through consistency and reliability, he won his first world championship. In 2006, he followed it up by winning a year-long and ultra-tense battle with Michael Schumacher to score his second title.
Incredibly, Alonso has not been crowned champion ever since. While he never had the top car, he did have opportunities to compete. In 2007, he fell short by one point after struggles within the McLaren team, mainly caused by himself. In the Ferrari years, he came close to winning the title two times and he likely could have racked up more Grand Prix wins had he stayed with the Scuderia. But a disastrous move back to McLaren in 2015 severely limited his career, and his habit of burning bridges made him persona-non-grata among the top teams of the modern era.
A decent comeback with Alpine put him back on the map, and he finally enjoyed some podium success with Aston Martin; a team building towards the future. If Alonso wants to be world champion again, his final opportunity could come in 2026 if Stroll Sr. lets him stay.
Based on his incredible racecraft, Alonso was probably F1’s strongest driver in the eras between Michael Schumacher and Max Verstappen. He has never lost to a teammate in terms of race matchups (although drew with Esteban Ocon) and only lost qualifying battles to two drivers (Jarno Trulli and Lewis Hamilton).