Fernando Alonso

Two times champion, Spanish Formula One driver, Fernando Alonso has renewed his contract with Ferrari until the end of the 2016 season. Alonso, currently lies fifth in the Formula One world ranking with 41 points, joined the Italian team for the 2010 season, signing a an initial three-season deal after a somewhat controversial season with McLaren in 2007 and a brief return in 2008 to Renault, the team with which he won two world titles in 2005 and 2006.

The announcement comes just over a year into the three-year deal Alonso signed when he initially joined Ferrari. In his first season with Ferrari (2010), Alonso, who has not managed a single victory so far this season, ended up second overall, just four points behind Germany’s Sebastian Vettel.

Ferrari have never finished lower than third in the championship virtually every year for a long time. This is one of the things Ferrari can offer to a driver. Alonso mentioned that in the next six years, he will try to enjoy his racing and hopefully we can have some success. He also reaffirmed that Ferrari can be champions.

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo said that it is a great pleasure to have renewed our agreement with a driver who has always demonstrated a winning mentality, even in the most difficult circumstances. Luca added that Fernando has all the qualities, both technical and human, to become part of Ferrari’s history, which we hope will soon be enriched with new successes.

Alonso’s title successes came in 2005 and 2006, when he was driving for Renault. Fernando Alonso said he planned to see out his Formula One career at Ferrari after the Italian team announced they had extended the double world champion’s contract to the end of 2016. The Spaniard is in his second season with the sport’s oldest, most successful and glamorous team Ferrari. The 29-year-old won on his Ferrari debut in Bahrain last year and ended the season as runner-up to Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel after taking the title battle down to the wire in Abu Dhabi.

Alonso admitted that he saw a new era in Formula One coming into focus. Alonso, who will compete in his home Grand Prix in Barcelona this weekend, earned his and Ferrari’s first podium finish of the season at the Turkish Grand Prix on 8 May, finishing third behind Red Bull duo Vettel and Mark Webber.

Tags: F1, Fernando Alonso, Ferrari, Formula One, Mark Webber, Motor Sports, Sebastian Vettel