Fernando Alonso was merely three years old when he first climbed into a go‑kart, and it happened by chance. His father, José Luis Alonso, enjoyed karting and had built a small single‑seater for his daughter Lorena, who was six years older than Fernando. She showed little interest, but he took the wheel, liked it instantly, and his father understood right away that there was something there. Alonso recalled that moment years later in an interview with the German newspaper Bild: “My father said: You’re good.”
Years later, during a Formula 1 presentation in India, Alonso himself explained that he really couldn’t choose his future because he was still too young. “I didn’t choose to become a driver; it was my father, I admit it.” What started as a game eventually became the project of an entire family, which did not have things easy.
Money Also Taught Alonso How to Drive
In an interview with El Español, Alonso revealed that a significant portion of his parents’ income went toward funding his karting career, and he was fully aware of what that entailed: “In my family a large part of both of our salaries went toward funding my karting.”
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Nolan Kessler
I focus on performance-driven cars, emerging technologies, and the business forces shaping the automotive industry. My work aims to deliver clear, relevant insights without unnecessary noise, with a strong attention to detail and accuracy. I follow the evolution of mobility daily, with a particular interest in what defines the next generation of driving.
