Factbox on Renault's Fernando Alonso, who became Formula One's youngest champion in Brazil on Sunday:

Nationality: Spanish

Age: 24

Born: July 29, 1981 (Oviedo, Spain).

Lives: Oxford, England.

Grand Prix starts: 67 (not including 2005 U.S. Grand Prix)

Pole positions: 8

Wins: 7

Grand Prix debut: Australia 2001 (Minardi)

First podium: Malaysia 2003

First pole: Malaysia 2003

First win: Hungary 2003

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Career highlights:

Began karting aged three.

1994 - Spanish kart champion.

1995 - Spanish kart champion.

1996 - Spanish and world junior kart champion

1997 - Spanish kart champion.

1998 - European kart championship

1999 - Euro Open by Nissan single-seater series champion (nine poles, six wins).

2000 - Formula 3000, fourth overall with one win, Minardi test driver.

2001 - Contracted to Renault (Benetton) but joined Minardi on one-year loan. No points.

2002 - Returned to Renault as test driver.

2003 - Renault. Sixth, 55 points. First win in Hungary.

2004 - Renault. Fourth, 59 points.

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Alonso upset the British media when he replaced Briton Jenson Button at Renault but team boss Flavio Briatore was right to describe him as a special talent.

An impressive debutant with tail-enders Minardi in 2001, the Spaniard showed his potential in 2003 by becoming the youngest driver to start a race on pole position and then the youngest winner in Formula One history.

The first Spaniard to win a Formula One race, he is the country's first champion.