Alonso won the Spanish karting championship at the age of 12 and secured a Formula 1 seat at just 19. His exceptional talent was already widely recognized across Europe. In 2000, he competed in the International Formula 3000 Championship, finishing fourth overall, which led to a contract with Renault.

In 2001, under contract with Renault, Alonso made his F1 debut with Minardi. At 19, he became the third-youngest driver in F1 history at the time.

In 2002, he served as Renault’s test driver before returning as a race driver in 2003. That year, he claimed his first F1 victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix, delivering strong results from his first full season with the team.

In 2005, Renault’s R25 proved highly competitive, and Alonso established himself as a top driver. He won seven of the 19 races, becoming the first Spanish World Champion and, at 24, the youngest champion in F1 history at the time. He successfully defended his title in 2006 with another seven victories, earning a reputation for consistency, race craft, and frequent podium finishes.

Alonso moved to McLaren in 2007, but ended his three-year contract after just one season. He returned to Renault in 2008, though the team no longer possessed the competitiveness it once had, and results were limited.

In 2010, Alonso joined Ferrari and returned to championship contention. Over four seasons, he remained a central figure in the title fight but narrowly missed out on the championship each time. Despite his strong performances, he left Ferrari at the end of 2014 before completing his contract.

In 2015, Alonso returned to McLaren, which that year reunited with Honda as its power unit supplier. The revival of the McLaren-Honda partnership drew global attention. However, ongoing reliability issues and a lack of performance made it a challenging period for Alonso.

Pursuing the so-called “Triple Crown” of motorsport—the Monaco Grand Prix, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the Indianapolis 500—Alonso skipped the 2017 Monaco Grand Prix to compete in the Indy 500 and went on to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2018. To focus on this goal, he stepped away from F1 in 2019 and 2020 to concentrate on IndyCar, though his Indianapolis 500 challenge ultimately ended without success.

Alonso returned to F1 in 2021 with Alpine, the rebranded Renault team. While he continued to show flashes of his trademark brilliance, the car’s lack of competitiveness limited his results.

In 2023, he joined Aston Martin and immediately delivered three consecutive third-place finishes at the opening races, transforming the team into a genuine dark horse.

In 2026, Aston Martin will partner with Honda, and Alonso will race once again with a Honda power unit—his first in nine years—as he continues his pursuit of success at the highest level of Formula 1.