Fernando Alonso’s extraordinary 25-year motorsport career is set to be explored in a new biography by BBC Formula 1 journalist Andrew Benson, promising previously untold stories about the two-time World Champion’s turbulent 2007 McLaren season, rivalry with Lewis Hamilton and five years at Ferrari. The 368-page book, titled Alonso, will be published by Simon & Schuster on 2 March 2027, with Fernando Alonso himself directly involved in the project.
Few drivers have experienced as many dramatic chapters in Formula 1 as Fernando Alonso, and condensing them into just 368 pages will be no easy task. His 2007 season at McLaren alone could comfortably fill an entire book, given the controversy, internal rivalry and political turmoil that surrounded one of the most explosive campaigns in the sport’s modern history.
Fernando Alonso biography promises a revealing look at his Formula 1 career
The new Fernando Alonso biography will be written by Andrew Benson, the long-serving BBC journalist who has covered motorsport for more than three decades. For the project, Andrew Benson has secured the direct cooperation of Fernando Alonso, giving the book an unusually close perspective on the decisions, rivalries and experiences that have defined the Spanish driver’s career.
The story begins with Fernando Alonso’s Formula 1 debut for Minardi in 2001 and follows his rise to two World Championships with Renault. It also revisits his battles with Michael Schumacher, the rivalries that shaped his career, the opportunities that slipped away and some of his most controversial decisions about which teams to join.
The biography will not be limited to Formula 1. Fernando Alonso’s two victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, his Indianapolis adventure and his remarkable return to Formula 1 after turning 40 will also feature. Across different generations of drivers, teams and technical regulations, Fernando Alonso has alternated between the roles of champion, rival, veteran and central figure in the sport’s biggest stories.
Lewis Hamilton rivalry and McLaren’s 2007 controversy revisited
Andrew Benson has collected testimony from World Champions, team principals, engineers and people close to Fernando Alonso, with the promise of previously unknown incidents and behind-the-scenes revelations.
One of the most intriguing chapters will undoubtedly concern Fernando Alonso’s turbulent 2007 season at McLaren. His intense rivalry with Lewis Hamilton, then a Formula 1 rookie, became one of the defining stories of that championship. The season was also overshadowed by the Spygate scandal, adding another layer of controversy to an already deeply divided environment.
Given the significance of that campaign in Fernando Alonso’s career, the prospect of new details from people directly involved is likely to attract considerable attention. It was a period in which sporting rivalries, internal tensions and major decisions all contributed to a defining turning point for the Spanish driver.
Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari years and the lost 2010 and 2012 titles
Another particularly significant part of the biography will examine the five seasons Fernando Alonso spent at Ferrari. His time at Maranello included moments of outstanding performance but also considerable frustration, particularly during the World Championship battles of 2010 and 2012.
Both campaigns ended in disappointment despite Fernando Alonso coming close to delivering Ferrari another Drivers’ World Championship. The book promises fresh details about those narrowly missed titles and what was really happening behind the scenes at Maranello during a period of intense pressure.
The importance of those years remains clear in Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari career statistics, which document his five seasons with the Italian team. Fernando Alonso has also revisited the disappointment of the 2010 and 2012 championship defeats, underlining how significant those opportunities remain in the story of his career.
From the controversies of McLaren to the missed opportunities at Ferrari, these are two chapters in which tensions, difficult decisions and behind-the-scenes developments played a decisive role in shaping both Fernando Alonso’s sporting future and Ferrari’s ambitions.
With direct input from Fernando Alonso and interviews involving some of the most influential people in Formula 1, Andrew Benson’s biography is set to explore the triumphs and setbacks of a career that has spanned more than two decades at the highest level of motorsport.
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