Former Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso is making a surprise switch to Aston Martin in 2023 at the end of his two-year spell with Alpine.
Aston Martin have moved swiftly to replace a fellow former champion, Sebastian Vettel, who revealed that he will be retiring in an announcement four days before news broke of Alonso's move.
In their third season competing in modern F1, Alonso's new team have justifiably described the deal as "a clear statement of intent".
What is Alonso's track record? Why is he such a major signing for Aston Martin? The Sporting News looks at the Spaniard's stellar career.
Fernando Alonso career
Beginnings and early titles
Born to a working-class family in Oviedo, Alonso was introduced to karting by his father and won the first of four consecutive junior Spanish Championship titles in 1993.
As a 17-year-old, Alonso debuted in a car race in the 1999 Euro Open, taking the title by winning the final race of the season.
That led to the prodigy entering the Formula 3000 Championship in 2000, finishing fourth for Team Astromega, including victory in the season finale at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.
Alonso had already tested a Formula One car by then, and he became Minardi's test and reserve driver before joining its race team in 2001 for his first F1 season.
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F1 world drivers' championship titles
Alonso's formative years included his rookie season with Minardi, finishing 23rd for a team that was not competing at the top of the standings.
A year as Renault's test driver followed, and he progressed to become a driver for the team in 2003, when he won in Hungary to break the record as the youngest ever Formula One race winner.
A sixth-placed championship finish and fourth place in 2004 led up to two spectacular seasons in 2005 and 2006, when Alonso won the championship with seven Grand Prix victories and six pole positions in each season.
Alonso beat two greats of the sport to top spot on both occasions, finishing 21 points ahead of Kimi Raikkonen for his first title and 13 clear of Michael Schumacher for his second.
Which teams has Fernando Alonso driven for?
As well as Minardi and Renault, Alonso moved to McLaren in 2007, finishing third that year after a thrilling end to the season.
Eventual champion Raikkonen beat Alonso and Lewis Hamilton to the title by a point during a final Grand Prix in Brazil that started with all three drivers in contention for glory.
Alonso finished on the same number of points as Hamilton but the Briton was awarded second place overall because he had finished second more often across the season.
A return to Renault produced a fifth-placed finish in 2008 and ninth place in 2009, and Alonso finished second in three of the four subsequent seasons while racing for Ferrari, missing out by four points to Vettel in 2010 and ending three points shy of the German in 2012.
He joined Honda in 2015 and McLaren in 2018, then took a two-year sabbatical from F1, adding the FIA World Endurance Championship title and a second 24 Hours of Le Mans crown.
After turning 40, Alonso secured two 10th-placed finishes for Alpine, with whom he remained one of the most enduringly popular drivers with fans.
Fernando Alonso Formula One record
When his move to Aston Martin was announced on August 1, 2022, Alonso was 10th in the drivers' standings on 41 points.
He recorded eight top-10 finishes in the 13 races of the 2022 season held to that point, finishing fifth at Silverstone in July for his best result.
In his career, Alonso has started 394 races, recording 22 pole positions, 98 podium finishes and 32 race wins.
| Year | Team | Position | Points |
| 2001 | European Minardi | 23rd | 0 |
| 2003-06 | Renault | 6th, 4th, 1st, 1st | 55, 59, 133, 134 |
| 2007 | McLaren | 3rd | 109 |
| 2008-09 | Renault | 5th, 9th | 61, 26 |
| 2010-14 | Ferrari | 2nd, 4th, 2nd, 2nd, 6th | 252, 257, 278, 242, 161 |
| 2015-18 | McLaren | 17th, 10th, 15th, 11th | 11, 54, 17, 50 |
| 2021-22 | Alpine | 10th, TBC | 81, TBC |