Alonso was taken to hospital following the accident, but is conscious and “well in himself” according to a statement from the Alpine F1 squad. However, Alonso found his stride thereafter and topped the podium in four of the final six races, with his win in the Valencia showdown seeing him come from three points behind to win the title by seven points. After Hamilton ignored an earlier order to swap positions on track, putting them out of sequence, Alonso tactically waited in his pit-box ahead of the Briton before pulling away, meaning he got around to complete his pole-winning final lap, while Hamilton couldn’t get around quick enough to start his lap. After leaving F1 in 2018, Alonso competed in the IndyCar Series, Le Mans' 24-hour race and the Dakar Rally where he emerged unscathed from a crash … Indeed, with Schumacher’s sole win coming in the farcical US Grand Prix - when all Michelin entrants withdrew leaving six cars on the grid - Alonso’s three wins from the opening four races of the season set him on course for a triumphant title tilt. With Alonso languishing in 17th overall, it prompted rumours he was seeking an exit from the team already but eventually stayed on board. However, it didn’t take long for issues to emerge, Honda very publicly proving other teams’ claims the V6 Hybrid architecture - while clever - was complicated and costly to produce from scratch. Chasing down a pack of cars, Alonso dropped a wheel onto the concrete on the inside of turn four and slid helplessly into the unforgiving walls that surround the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Swiftly impressing with success at local and national level before going on to succeed on the world stage (third in the CIK-FIA series in 1996 after against older rivals), enough to earn him a ‘winged’ car racing debut in 1999 aged only 17. With the decision coming relatively late in the day in the context of of the ‘silly season’, Alonso resumed relations with Renault for the 2008 F1 season, itself looking to revive its fortunes after a disappointing 2007 campaign in the wake of its talisman’s exit. While the Indy 500 continues to elude his Triple Crown attempts, Alonso has now added Le Mans 24 Hous glory to his roster with overall wins in 2019 and 2020. Alonso’s season started with a dramatic bang when he was involved in a huge accident during the curtain raising Australian Grand Prix, prompted by him clipping a defending Esteban Gutierrez on the run down to Turn 3. Making his F1 debut in 2001, Alonso has competed in 17 F1 seasons and started 311 races, placing him third on the all-time list behind Kimi Raikkonen (329) and Rubens Barrichello (322), the latter of which he is set to surpass in 2021. Mazepin spins to red flag final moments of FP1, Verstappen stops at pit exit after losing power. While McLaren was stripped of its points in the constructors’ standiongs, the drivers were unaffected with the title fight coming down to a dramatic finale between Alonso, Hamilton and Raikkonen. He became the youngest driver to win an F1 World Championship since Emerson Fittipaldi, while it marked Renault’s first F1 title as a constructor. He had originally been due to drive in 2011, but Renault’s implication in ‘crashgate’ saw it withdraw full-factory backing from what would be a part-privately funded 2010 effort, allowing Alonso to be released from his contract. Instead he came up against an unexpected challenge from his new rookie team-mate Lewis Hamilton, who quickly lived up to a fearsome reputation carved through the junior ranks by reeling off a series of podiums before winning two races on the trot in Canada and the United States. The violence of the crash ripped much of the engine cover off the side of the McLaren. The move came with full backing from McLaren, which released him from duties of competing in the Monaco Grand Prix as a result (more below). Competing in the inaugural rally raid to be held in Saudi Arabia, Alonso suffered mechanical issues and a roll but made it to the finish in 13th, with a best stage finish of second position. And so it proved, Alonso crossing the line seventh, allowing Vettel to leapfrog from third to first to win the first of his four consecutive world titles. Paired with Tarso Marques - who competed with Minardi for during the 1997 season - on paper Alonso suffered for an underfunded Minardi team’s continued minnow disparity compared with its rivals. However, with bridges burned at Ferrari and neither Mercedes nor Red Bull interested in the two-time world champion, he was left without a drive for 2019. After Alonso won on his WEC debut in the Spa 6 Hours, he - along with Buemi and Nakajima - successfully translated that into a win from pole position in France. That lifted Hamilton into pole, which he subsequently converted into a victory. Replacing the Ferrari-bound Kimi Raikkonen - who had replaced Schumacher -, Alonso was once again placed ion direct competition with the Finn as he attempted to become only the eighth driver to win titles with two different teams. With Hamilton emerging as a title contender, Alonso’s assumed No.1 status within the team was weakened and results appeared to suffer, with the Spaniard blaming a lack of attention on him relative to the McLaren protege. While an investigation was ongoing, Alonso threatened to leak email exchanges between himself, Coghlan and McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rosa, evidence that was later submitted, prompting the investigation to be re-opened. That was in the days before the Halo cockpit protection device and Grosjean's car came inches away from hitting Alonso's head. HIs efforts caught the attention of teams in the F1-supporting Formula 3000, the official feeder series to the top tier of the sport. However, Renault failed to make anticipated gains over the winter and the RS28, while competitive in the hands of Alonso especially couldn’t mount a challenge to McLaren, Ferrari and BMW. 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Driving with the Zak Brown-owned United Autosports team at the wheel of a Ligier JS P2 alongside Lando Norris and Philip Hanson, the trio would prove quick but the car frail as it laboured to 38th at the finish. F1 commentary legend Murray Walker dies aged 97, Layout for Saudi Arabia street circuit revealed, Red Bull a 'different animal' in 2021, says Hamilton, Your comprehensive guide to Formula One preseason testing, The women who power F1: Engineers, mechanics and directors on their role in changing a man's world, Hackers, Brady and Bond: Ranking the best and worst of F1's virtual launches, Ferrari launches new car with two-tone livery. Heading into 2014, Alonso hoped the latest overhaul in technical regulations - which saw the introduction of new V6 Hybrid engines - would motivate a change in fortunes. VIDEO: What next for Pierre Gasly’s future in F1? Up against more seasoned competitors, Alonso would emerge as the revelation of the F3000 season even if it took until round seven of ten in Austria for him to get on the scoreboard, the legacy of the series featuring only a single race each weekend and mirroring F1 by scoring only the top six finishers. In addition to his F1 exploits, Alonso - already a Monaco Grand Prix winner - sought to become only the driver driver (afte Graham Hill) to achieve the fabled ‘Triple Crown’ of victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours - which he achieved in 2018 and 2019 - and the Indianapolis 500, an endeavour that he didn’t achieve in three attempts thus far. With his reputation for being a somewhat fractious team player - which in turn deterred the big teams able to satisfy his salary demands and expectations from targeting him - it was loosely assumed Alonso had now completed his final F1 race after no approaches in 2019 or 2020. Reminiscent of the infamous 1996 Australian Grand Prix opening lap when Martin Brundle catapulted over the field under braking for the same corner, mercifully Alonso was able to walk away from the smash, though was later ruled out of the following event in Malaysia after being diagnosed with a fractured rib. Come 2017 he remained one of the world’s top earning athletes and featured on the Forbes Celebrity 100 in 2008 and 2017. Fernando Alonso was hit by a car while riding his bike in Switzerland, according to Italian newspaper La Gazzetta among others. Fernando Alonso - Toyota Gazoo Racing LMP1 [2019], Hamilton and Verstappen respond to Mercedes-Red Bull F1 engine staff transfers, What do F1’s drivers make of Barcelona’s new Turn 10? Incroyable : le pilote de Formule 1 Fernando Alonso est sorti indemne d'un impressionnant crash lors du Grand Prix d'Australie ce dimanche 20 mars. Fernando Alonso has been involved in a road accident while cycling in Switzerland. Making his F1 debut in 2001, Alonso has competed in 17 F1 seasons and started 311 races, placing him third on the all-time list behind Kimi Raikkonen (329) and Rubens Barrichello … With Vettel’s title marking the start of his and Red Bull’s era in the final years of the V8 architecture, Alonso found himself battle for the best of the rest in 2011. Alonso - still only 18 - joined the well-established Team Astromega for 2000, which in turn aligned him with F1 outfit Minardi which had come on as partners and ran in the same Telefonica-backed yellow livery. Indeed, while the Ferrari power unit was fairly reliable it was outclassed by the superior unit from Mercedes. However, having retained good relations with Renault and the team needing a big name to replace Daniel Ricciardo, who had caught it unawares by defecting to McLaren, Alonso will return with the French outfit for the 2021 F1 season as it morphs into the Alpine F1 Team in a nod to its niche sportscar brand. Credited with helping team rediscover its form after a dismal 2001 campaign, Alonso was subsequently - if controversially - given the nod over Jenson Button for a race drive in 2003 despite the Briton’s strong campaign after interest was shown by rivals Jaguar.. With the Renault proving competitive on Michelin rubber, Alonso was rhe revelation of the season and quickly proved a frontrunner despite his year out of competition, proving quicker than more experienced team-mate Jarno Trulli. Marty & McGee drive an Aston Martin through LA ... what could go wrong? However, this didn’t stop him becoming vociferous in his criticism of the Honda power unit - partricularly an obvious disparity in top speed compared with rivals - famously branding it a ‘GP2 engine’ during the firm’s home Japanese Grand Prix when he was being easily overtaken. He is the founder and brand ambassador of fashio retailer Kimoa and has set up a junior team that competes in karting, Spanish F4 and the Formula Renault Eurocup named FA Racing. After rumours of significant issues in development, Honda’s problems were laid embarrassingly bare during pre-season when it repeatedly broke down. Announcing he wanted to clinch the so-called ‘Triple Crown’ - victories at the F1 Monaco Grand Prix, Indianapolis 500 and the Le Mans 24 Hours - Alonso had already achieved the former but was yet to attempt either of the latter. However, he could only manage a best of tenth place all season, thus ending his maiden campaign without any points. However, in what would prove to be a closely-matched campaign that kept four drivers in close contention until the final stages of the year, Alonso wouldn’t top the podium again untl Round 11 at the Hockenheimring. With McLaren and Honda ending its tempestous partnership at the conclusion of the 2017 F1 season, Alonso chose to remain on board in the hope a switch to Renault power would rervive beleaguered British team. Dubbed ‘crashgate’, Renault originally contested the claims before withdrawing them with Renault boss Flavio Briatore and engineer Pat Symonds charged with conspiracy and race fixing, prompting them to resign. With Webber all but putting himself out of contentiuon after pitting early due to excessive tyre wear, Alonso found the pole-winning Vettel his biggest threat in the race. With no F1 drive in 2019, Alonso resumed with McLaren, this time going it largely alone with ex-Force India boss Bob Fernley in charge, for a second tilt at the Indy 500. On Alonso’s return for Round 2, the Spaniard found a car that wasn’t notably quicker or more reliable, making the prospect of points increasingly fanciful. Fernando Alonso crash: F1 star 'conscious and well' in hospital say Alpine after accident Fernando Alonso is awaiting medical examinations after being involved in a road accident in Switzerland. At the end of the first four-day test, the power unit had completed only 79 laps, compared with Mercedes on 516 laps, which swelled to 984 laps when its four-powered teams are taken into account. With Alpine not expecting to challenge for the title in 2021, it is set to siphon significant time, money and development into the fresh project with help from an experienced Alonso, a move that it is tipped could be transformative for the well-funded outfit if Mercedes and Red Bull et al. For 2013, Alonso once more found himself toe-to-toe with Vettel in what was a fairly evenly-matched tussle initially as they shared two wins apiece early on, the Spaniard triumphing in China and - emotionally - in Barcelona. Alonso embarks on his first home race since 2018 this weekend at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.. Alonso won the hearts of his nation when he became the first Spaniard to win an F1 … However, it was a troubled race with clutch issues leaving him 21st. Starting Round 2 of the season in Malaysia from pole position - in so doing becoming the youngest driver to do so - and finishing on the podium in only his 19th GP start, Alonso ensured Renault could take the fight to Ferrari, Williams and McLaren. A steady hand, his has finished an impressive 245 races in his career from 311 starts (second only to KimI Raikkonen), this despite suffering from McLaren-Honda’s dismal reliability record in 2015 and 2017. Alonso won his first race in the Mercededs-powered car during Round 2 in Malaysia, following it up with success in Monaco but mid-season found himself overshadowed by his precocious new team-mate. Though he hasn’t tasted the winners’ champagne since the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix, Alonso is still statistically one of the most successful F1 drivers of all-time and was responsible for ending five years of dominance by Michael Schumacher and Ferrari. Red Bull vs Mercedes: Who looks stronger after round one? With Claire Williams gone, what next for women in Formula One? By this stage the upper hand seemed to be favouring Red Bull’s Mark Webber and McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, before Alonso hit his stride with three wins in four races (Italy, Singapore and Korea), However, it was form mirrored by the rapidly advancing Sebastian Vettel in the Renault-powered Red Bull, setting up a tense threw-way title finale in favour of Alonso (246), Webber (238) and Vettel (231). However, they would prove his only successes of the year (and his last victory in F1 as of March 2021) before Vettel’s ten wins in the final 11 races put significant air between himself and Alonso. Alonso was the first driver to score two wins with success in Round 2 snd Round 8 in Malaysia and on home soil in Valencia before a third success in Germany swelled his advantage overall to 34 points at the mid-way point in the year. Alonso was taken to hospital following the accident, but is conscious and “well in himself” according to a statement from the Alpine F1 squad. A conservative design from Ferrari prevented Alonso from doing any more than extracting the best of what he had, which was still good enough for ten podiums, including victory in the British Gramd Prix (one of seven races Vettel didn’t win). Although victory was always unlikely in his uncompetitve McLaren, it means -- unless he returns to F1 -- he leaves the sport having never claim a win at what he regularly cites as one of his favourite circuits on the calendar. However, after landing on the podium at the penultimate Hungaroring round, he wrapped up the year with a win from pole position at the esteemed Spa-Francorchamps, lifting him to fourth in the overall standings behind only Bruno Junqueira (who famously lost out to Jenson Button for a Wiliams F1 drive for 2000), the experienced Nicolas Minassian and Mark Webber, who despite his rookie status was already a seasoned international sportscar racer. *Note: He finished level on points in 2001 (Tarso Marques) and 2007 (Lewis Hamilton), He is the only modern era racer to have won FIA World Championships in different disciplines (F1 and WEC). Sending him soaring over the Haas and barrel-rolling against the left-side barrier, the destroyed McLaren came to rest propped up against the Armco in the gravel trap. Fernando Alonso victime d'un accident de vélo. become more pre-occupied with its 2021 efforts. In what would prove a devastatingly dominant campaign for Ferrari - which won all but three races - while Renault couldn’t stay with its Italian rivals, Alonso further stamped his mark on proceedings by largely proving ‘best of the rest’ in a battle with BAR”s Button. According to McLaren, the crash was caused by an 'unpredictable gust of wind' and an exhaustive trawl of the data from Alonso's car didn't detect … While Raikkonen was arguably the quicker of the two during the second-half of the year, he suffered for a frailer McLaren, allowing Alonso to coast to the title with two rounds to spare, totalling seven wins from 19 races, plus podiums in all but three races. Alonso entered the Indy 500 in 2017 and 2020, and failed to qualify in 2019, but will not be competing in the event while he is contracted to Alpine's F1 operation. Has Mercedes regained the advantage already? Lacking the double diffuser system that made rivals Brawn, Red Bull and Toyota so competitive initially, Renault struggled for form with Alonso finding himself largely mired in the mid-field for much of the year, even if he did add a podium to his tally with a successful return to the Marina Bay Circuit in Singapore shortly after the outcome of the ‘crashgate’ scandal - which had led to a major team management reconstruction - was announced. Two-time F1 world champion Alonso was involved in an accident while out riding on the outskirts of Lugano on Thursday around lunchtime, leaving the Spaniard hospitalised. 1. Destroying Marques and then Alex Yoong (who replaced Marques for the final events) in terms of raw pace by out-quaifying them 16 to 1, Alonso’s average starting position was between 17th and 18th of 22 despite having comfortably the least competitive car on the grid. 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Fernando Alonso regards his No.14 race number - which he has used throughout his career - as his ‘lucky number’ and has used it since karting, His driving style is widely celebrated among peers and commentators alike, Alonso considered to be a master of extracting the best of his machinery and has only once been out-scored by a team-mate (Jenson Button in 2015). Certainly quick but prone to issues, while Alonso was twice a race winner during the first-half of the season - including a victory on his debut in Albacete - six DNFs and one DNS in ten races left him playing significant catch up initially. Now a double world champion, Alonso sought a change of scenery for his latest title defence and after a secret meeting with McLaren boss Ron Dennis shortly before the end of the year shocked the paddock by penning a three-year deal with the British team. (CNN) Two-time Formula One World Champion Fernando Alonso has undergone a "successful corrective operation" on a fracture of his upper jaw after being involved in a cycling accident … As such, he found himself circulating in seventh and unable to get past a slower but stubborn Vitaly Petrov in the top speed superior Renault, with an agitated Alonso famously taking to the radio to convey his frustration at a title slipping through his grasp. 1st (Malaysian GP, Bahrain GP, San Marino GP, European GP, French GP, German GP, Chinese GP), 1st (Bahrain GP, Australian GP, Spanish GP, Monaco GP, British GP, Canadian GP, Japanese GP), 1st (Malaysian GP, Monaco GP, European GP, Italian GP), 1st (Bahrain GP, German GP, Italian GP, Singapore GP, Korean GP), 1st (Malaysian GP, European GP, German GP), F1 Ferrari (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014), Triple Crown (Indy 500, Le Mans 24 Hours), Other Motorsport Activities (Daytona 24 Hours, Dakar Rally). That incident is usually seen as the one which cost him in that year's fight with Sebastian Vettel, which he narrowly lost at the season finale in Abu Dhabi. Contact Crash.Net Privacy Policy Get Crash RSS Newsfeeds About Crash.Net. More wins followed in the Sebring 12 Hours and a second Spa 6 Hours, earning the trio the WEC title before returning to Le Mans and winning the blue riband race for a second time. Hamilton came into the finale with the advantage, four points ahead of Alonso and seven clear of Raikkonen. F1 driver Alonso leaves hospital after cycling crash February 15, 2021 GMT FILE - In this file photo dated Friday, Oct. 30, 2020, former Formula One driver Spain's Fernando Alonso as he walks on the track ahead of Sunday's Emilia Romagna Formula One Grand Prix, at … With Porsche’s exit making Toyota the sole remaining full-factory LMP1 effort, Alonso - together with co-drivers Sebastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakjima - was almost entirely engaged in a two-way battle between themselves and the sister car of Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Jose Maria Lopez, with the privateer LMP1 entries at Le Mans lapping around four seconds a lap slower. Alpine issued a statement on Thursday evening saying that Alonso was "conscious and well in … However, with Honda under pressure from McLaren - with whom relations had now become strained - to focus on improving performance, it instead had the effect of hampering reliability with Alonso enduring arguably an even tougher season than in 2015 coloured by 11 DNFs from 20 races. Regarded as one of the greatest F1 drivers of all-time, double world champion Fernando Alonso makes a sensational return to F1 after two years out of the top flight, racing for the Alpine F1 Team in the 2021 F1 World Championship, the new name for the erstwhile Renault F1 Team. As part of a deal that would see him join Toyota to compete in the entire 2018-2019 FIA World Endurance Championship, the season would incorporate two Le Mans 24 Hours races, in June 2018 and June 2019. Another followed at Interlagos the following round despite being involved in a race-ending high-speed accident that hospitalised him in tricky conditions. Marking a return to the Enstone-based team with which he clinched his two F1 world titles in 2005 and 2006, Alonso joins on a single-year contract where he will bid to elevate the French outfit as it morphs into Alpine to reflect its niche sportscar sub-brand. Blaming a locked steering wheel despite McLaren refuting this claim, it nonetheless led to hospitalisation and ruled him out of the remainder of testing and the opening round. F1 approves qualifying sprint race for three 2021 events, The blame game: Analysis of the Bottas-Russell clash and what happens next, Russell apologises to Bottas in social media post, Hamilton fights back from spin to finish second, Bottas and Russell out after massive collision, Wolff: Russell lost sight of bigger picture in Bottas clash, Russell asked Bottas: 'Are you trying to kill us both? Having left McLaren under something of a cloud in 2007, Alonso returned with renewed optimism courtesy of its new tie-up with Honda, which evoked memories of their devastating dominance with the likes of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost between 1988 and 1992. Fernando Alonso statement released as F1 star to remain in hospital after surgery Fernando Alonso has undergone surgery on a fractured jaw after being involved in an accident while cycling. Fernando Alonso will need further surgery this winter on the jaw fracture he suffered in a recent cycling accident, but says his Formula 1 efforts will be unaffected. With the Ferrari proving quick in pre-season testing, Alonso emerged as the early title favourite, a status he furthered with a victory on his debut with the Scuderia in Bahrain. With regulation tweaks - no tyre changes - suiting the Michelin-shod teams over the Bridgestone tyres used by Ferrari, Renault and McLaren subsequently emerged as the cars to beat during the 2005 F1 season with Alonso engaging in a fierce duel with Kimi Raikkonen for the title, while Michael Schumacher was forced into a watching brief. When the McLaren MP4-32 was dependable, it wasn’t quick enough to earn Alonso anything more than three points’ finishes in Azerbaijan (9th), Hungary (6th) and Mexico (10th), dropping him to 15th in the standings. Beginning the year with nine podiums in the opening nine races - including six victories - Alonso established a sizeable lead over Schumacher, prompting the FIA to look closely at his dominance, leading to a ban of the Renault R26’s mass damper. F1's track limits confusion explained after Bahrain GP, How Hamilton beat Verstappen with a slower car at the Bahrain Grand Prix. VIDEO: Which F1 team has the strongest driver line-up for 2021? Top six results followed in Russia and Monaco with Alonso hauling the McLaren into solid top ten results by the season end, allowing him to end the year a much improved tenth overall.