Alonso was born on 29 July 1981 in Oviedo, Asturias, Northern Spain. His father built a go-kart for his elder sister, Lorena, but a three-year-old Alonso received the kart. Aged seven, Alonso won his first kart race in Pola de Laviana. He won the 1988 and 1989 children's junior Championship of the Asturias and Galicia. Alonso won three successive Spanish Junior Championships from 1993 to 1995. He won his fourth Spanish Junior Championship, the Trofeo Estival, the Marlboro Masters, and the CIK-FIA Five Continents Cup at Genk in 1996.
Aged seventeen, Alonso made his car racing debut in the 1999 Euro Open by Nissan with Campos Motorsport, winning the title. For 2000, he progressed to the International Formula 3000 Championship with the Minardi-backed Team Astromega. Alonso finished second at the Hungaroring and won the season-ending round at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps for fourth overall.
Alonso was Minardi's test and reserve driver in 2000 before joining its race team in 2001, making his Formula One debut at the Australian Grand Prix. He signed as Renault's test driver for 2002 before his promotion to the race team for 2003. He became the then-youngest polesitter at the Malaysian Grand Prix and youngest F1 race winner at the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2003. Alonso won his maiden title in 2005, becoming the first World Drivers' Champion from Spain and the then-youngest in Formula One history, aged 24. He successfully defended his title in 2006.
Alonso moved to McLaren for 2007, finishing one point behind champion Kimi Räikkönen. He returned to Renault for 2008 and 2009. Alonso signed for Ferrari in 2010, finishing runner-up to Sebastian Vettel by four points. He remained with Ferrari until 2014. Alonso returned to McLaren under Honda power in 2015 and remained with the team until the end of 2018, before his first retirement from Formula One.
He returned to Formula One in 2021 with Alpine, recording his first podium in seven years at the Qatar Grand Prix. Alonso moved to Aston Martin for his 2023 campaign, achieving several podiums and finishing fourth in the World Drivers' Championship. In 2024, he became the first driver to contest 400 Grands Prix.
Alonso made his sports car endurance racing debut at the 1999 24 Hours of Barcelona. He drove a Ligier JS P217 in the 2018 24 Hours of Daytona. Alonso returned to race in the 2019 24 Hours of Daytona with Wayne Taylor Racing, winning the rain-shortened event. He joined Sébastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima in Toyota's No. 8 TS050 Hybrid for the 2018–19 FIA World Endurance Championship. He, Buemi and Nakajima won the LMP1 Drivers' Championship with five victories including the 2018 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 2019 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Alonso entered the 2017 Indianapolis 500 with McLaren Honda Andretti. He led four times for a total of 27 laps before his engine failed. Alonso entered the 2020 Indianapolis 500 with Arrow McLaren SP and managed to finish the race in 21st.
Alonso entered the Dakar Rally with Toyota in 2020 following a five-month testing programme. With co-driver Marc Coma, he finished the Dakar Rally in thirteenth position.
Alonso operates a driver management company, A14 Management. A14 Management manages a portfolio of young drivers across several motorsport disciplines.
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