Fernando Alonso was born in 1981 in northern Spain, and is the youngest ever Formula 1 driver, competing in his first rally at the age of 24. In 1996, at the age of 15, he won the Junior World Cup.

In 1998 he had his first test for Minardi, and completed laps at a speed of on average 1.5 seconds faster than other members.

In 2001 Alonso was a young driver for Minardi, and the following year became a permanent test driver for Renault. In 2003 he became the youngest driver ever to win a Formula One race at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

By this stage, he was already starting to become well-known worldwide for his professional and mature attitude, and obvious talent. He broke a further record in 2005 when he was awarded the title of Drivers’ Champion - the youngest driver to ever receive it.

For 2007, Alonso has signed with McLaren who are paying him a reported princely sum of £20 million.

Alonso’s career

• His first race as a professional was the 2001 Australian Grand Prix

• A colourful character on and off the track, there have been a number of controversies surrounding Alonso, namely concerning red-flagging

• Because of his youth, good lucks and success and talent as a Formula 1 driver, a phenomenon known as ‘Alonsomania’ has mushroomed, leaving Alonso with one of the biggest fan bases in racing

• He has an older sister named Lorena

• When he was younger, his family couldn’t afford to get him into races - it was only due to luck, sponsorship and winnings that he made it to where he is today

• In 2005 he was appointed Spanish-Commissioner for UNICEF