Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso:

Fernando Alonso is already on course to become one of motor racing's leading lights over the next decade after wrapping up his second World title with Renault in 2006. However, in 2007, he faces a brand new challenge after deciding to move to the McLaren team.

The then 23-year-old's first race was in a Minardi at the 2001 Australian GP. It was quickly obvious that Fernando was too quick to be a mere backmarker and it was no surprise when manager Flavio Briatore promoted Fernando to the role of Renault tester and then handed him a race seat for 2003.

Since then his rise has been astonishing, with the next 12 months witnessing Fernando becoming the youngest driver ever on pole, the youngest to set a fastest lap and his win in Hungary in 2003 made him the youngest ever GP winner.

However, Renault struggled to match their 2003 exploits in 2004 and for a while Fernando's star appeared to be on the wane. Yet he returned to something akin to his previous form in the latter half of the campaign, finishing third in successive races at Hockenheim and Budapest.

The back-to-back podium finishes, though, were only a hint of what was to come and even before the halfway point of the 2005 season it was clear to (almost) everyone that in Fernando Alonso, F1 had found its new king.

While his rivals suffered with either a lack of pace or an abundance of reliability gremlins, Fernando, his R25 and its Michelin tyres were bordering on the flawless, claiming seven wins, eight podium finishes and the ultimate prize, the Drivers' Championship title.

Fernando clinched the title at the Brazilian GP, race 17, ending Michael Schumacher's five-year reign, Kimi Raikkonen's title dream, Spain's title drought and Emerson Fittipaldi's long-standing record for being the youngest-ever F1 World Champion.

Despite announcing in November 2005 that he would be joining the McLaren team for 2007, Alonso stayed with Renault for the 2006 season where, once again he partnered Giancarlo Fisichella.

As predicted, Fernando went on to claim back-to-back World tiles, although it wasn't as easy as it had been the previous season.

Not only was the season dogged by controversy and the banning of Renault's mass dampers, but the Spaniard was also pushed all the way to the finish line by Michael Schumacher. And one could argue that in the end Fernando's title efforts were helped by Schumacher's misfortunes in the final two races.

But no matter how it came about, it was Alonso who was crowned the 2006 World Champion when he finished second at the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix.