Fernando Alonso was born in Oviedo (Asturias, Spain) in 1981. A career marked by triumphs from the outset and his position as leader of the Formula 1 World Championship have made him Spain´s best known sportsman internationally. Second only to Mexico´s Ricardo Rodriguez as the youngest debutant at this level, he sat behind a wheel for the first time at the age of three, driving a kart that his father had built and going on to become champion in all the lower categories. He has broken records throughout his career: youngest winner of a Grand Prix (Hungary, 2000); youngest driver to stand on a winners´ podium and earn a pole position, in Malaysia, and the fastest lap during a Grand Prix, in Canada.

He began driving in Formula Nissan on the back of his 2000 world karting championship. Good results saw him step up to Formula 3000 that same year, when he also abandoned his studies in Oviedo to dedicate himself full time in the direction of his career in sport. He first had to demonstrate a maturity at the wheel that his team managers were loath to acknowledge, but once he had earned their trust, podiums were soon to follow, alongside his first pole position and fastest lap in Belgium. Fourth place in the world championship for the category saw him catapulted up to Formula 1 the following year as a member of the Minardi team. He had a great season there despite the limitations of the team in the face of its more powerful rivals. In 2002, he joined Renault as a test driver and reserve to learn and get experience in a big team. In a single year he earned the position of team driver and in 2003, his second season in Formula 1, he began to make history, winning the Hungarian Grand Prix and finishing sixth in the world rankings. Alonso then went one better, and was third in Australia, Germany and Hungary, and second in France. These results took him to fourth place in the World Championship.

2005 is proving to be Fernando Alonso´s best season. He has stood top of the podium in Malasia, Bahrein, San Marino, Nürburgring, Magny-Cours and Hockenheim. He has come second at Montmeló, Turkey, Monza, United Kingdom and Belgium, and has been third in Australia. These results have given him a substantial lead over his competitors in the World Championship. Fernando Alonso won the 2003 Infanta Doña Cristina National Award for Sport as "sporting revelation of the year". He was recently appointed a UNICEF-Spanish Committee ambassador and will work in this capacity to promote and protect children´s rights and to further the aims of UNICEF´s mission.