Fernando Alonso is an accomplished mimic and passionate Real Madrid supporter, now as famous in Spain as any of their multi-millionaire ‘Galactico’ players.Yet there is nothing flash or brash about the softly-spoken Alonso, who prefers a quiet life mingling with students in the English university town of Oxford to basking in the media spotlight in his home country.‘‘I get recognised maybe once a month.I go to the supermarket, I go to buy the newspaper and I can be there with friends,” he said. “In Spain I have people in front of the house so it’s impossible.”On the track, the shy and diffident young man is transformed into an aggressive and determined racer who is relentlessly quick.From an unglamorous background in northern Spain’s Asturias region, with his father employed as an explosives expert in the mining industry and mother working in a department store, the champion’s career started at the age of three.His father had made a kart for Alonso’s older sister, which she spurned, and by the age of 13 Fernando was a Spanish champion.The world junior kart title followed and in 2000, while competing in the junior and now-defunct F3000 series, he became Minardi’s test driver.Yet, as a boy, grand prix racing was barely on his radar. Spanish television showed only occasional highlights and motorcycling was far more popular. Until five years ago, he could have walked past Schumacher without either man recognising the other.“I knew of Michael because I was racing in go-karts and you always know the big names in Formula One,” Alonso said. “But I didn’t know his face until five years ago.”In 2001, while contracted to Renault, the Spaniard made his Formula One debut with Minardi and was soon on the fast-track. “Fernando’s got more natural talent than I’ve ever seen in the drivers I’ve come across,” said Minardi’s Australian boss Paul Stoddart.There are no doubters now. The only question is how many more titles he can win, even if Alonso will no doubt play down the expectations.
