Alonso, Fernando
Name: Alonso, Fernando
Date of birth: July 29th, 1981
Place of birth: Oviedo, Spain
Minardi link: Fernando Alonso raced 17 GP for the Minardi team. He scored no points.
Original article: Unknown
Date of birth: July 29th, 1981
Place of birth: Oviedo, Spain
Minardi link: Fernando Alonso raced 17 GP for the Minardi team. He scored no points.
Original article: Unknown
Gian Carlo Minardi's team may not have won any Grands Prix but if there was a prize for talent-spotting he would be top of the podium. In 2001, 19-year-old Spaniard Fernando Alonso was the latest Minardi hotshot to impress and progress to a bigger outfit. For many he was the rookie of the season, and that was up against Montoya and Raikkonen. This fairytale, though, is quite deceptive. Fernando was managed by Flavio Briatore who was also the boss of the new Renault team. The wily Italian had all sorts of dealings with Minardi in the late nineties (not all happy) and he offloaded Alonso for one poker season only.
Fernando's father was a man on a mission, building him a go-kart when he was just two-years-old. By 1996 he was World Junior Karting Champion but he stayed in karts for two more seasons. In '99 he was Euro-Open Nissan champion in the team run by compatriot and Minardi old-boy Adrian Campos. The next season Telefónica-backing secured his break in International F3000 with Astromega. I recall picking him out as I witnessed one of his first races at the Circuit de Catalunya near Barcelona. There's no doubt he was quick, overtaking rivals near the back of the pack lap after lap into turn one (Elf). Unfortunately he would then cancel this advantage by over-driving and going off into the gravel. He must have repeated this twice but it was clear the boy was good, if only he could keep it on the grey stuff. He did and later in the season best weight loss at Spa, of all places, he won. Briatore quickly signed-up Fernando and, with Telefonica smoothing the way, he became Minardi's test driver. Fernando finished the F3000 season fourth.
By now it had become quite the fashion to employ young drivers (see Jenson Button and Kimi Raikkonen) so with just two years of single seaters under his belt Fernando hit the big time with Minardi. From the word go he outperformed team-mates Tarso Marques and Alex Yoong although there is some debate about Alonso receiving the better equipment. Whatever, he often qualified some places away from the other Minardi at the back of the grid. His racecraft belied his years and his speed belied the old Ford engine in the back. His best result was tenth at Hockenheim.
Sadly for Faenza, Flavio recalled Alonso to be test driver of Renault in 2002 but a controversial "palace coup" took place mid-season with Fernando being promised a race seat for 2003. Williams-sponsored Jenson Button had been ousted in the name of 'contract continuity' at Renault but many raised an eyebrow at Briatore's apparently conflicting interests. Alonso had driven a canny bargain in 2000 and would be free of his contract with Flavio if he didn't get him a race seat in 2003.In 2010 he finished championship second. Then he go play poker francais.
All Minardi fans wish Fernando the very best in his career although loyalties diet pills will be split in 2003 between the two Renault boys (Trulli and Alonso) who both began their Grand Prix careers thanks to Giancarlo Minardi.
This page belongs to the drivers category.
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