Fernando Alonso Looking Back at His Racing Career in Madrid

Fernando Alonso is opening up to the world in Madrid. The Centro de Exposiciones Arte Canal in Madrid is running an exhibition through May 4 that collects some of Alonso’s cars, trophies and memorabilia through his entire racing career.

Alonso opened the exhibition on December 2 with Minardi team founder Giancarlo MinardiMinardiItaly, 1978 > 20047 models
5 photos
, former RenaultRenaultFrance, 1898 > present189 models
6052 photos
17 videos
Team Principal Flavio Briatore, McLarenMcLarenUnited Kingdom, 1963 > present92 models
1883 photos
12 videos
Team Principal Martin Whitmarsh, Scuderia FerrariFerrariItaly, 1947 > present233 models
5131 photos
37 videos
Team Principal Stefan Domenicali, former WRC Champion Carlos Sainz and former F1 driver Pedro de la Rosa.

“It’s incredible that my father was kept so much stuff over the years. Helmets, gloves, suits, it would have been all too easy to throw them away, but now I understand what all those boxes were doing in the garage,” said Alonso. “What appeared to have no significance back then today means something. I hope everyone will be able to appreciate every discipline of motor sport: there are two championship winning Formula 1 cars here and a championship winning kart, as well as photos of family scenes dating back to when I was seven, nine or ten years old.”

The exhibit is split into six sections covering Alonso’s child hood, his early time karting, junior formulae and three sections about Formula 1.

The exhibit includes some of the Formula 1 cars that Alonso has driven, and visitors tour his F1 career through several short films and audio-visual experiences, including a video in which Alonso tells visitors about his entire career.

The cars on display span Alonso’s entire career. It starts with the Coloni chassis in the Euro Open by NissanNissanJapan, 1932 > present159 models
6957 photos
12 videos
series that Alonso drove in 1999 and then his 2000 LolaLolaUnited Kingdom, 1958 > 195938 models
113 photos
1 video
B99/50 that he drove in Formula 3000. From there, it moves to his Formula One cars starting with the Minardi PS01Minardi PS01 EurotechItaly, 2001 > present that he premiered with in Formula 1 in 2001. The exhibit also includes the Renaults that Alonso drove from 2003 to 2006, his 2007 McLaren MP4-22McLaren MP4-22 MercedesGermany, 2007 > present2 photos
, 2008-2009 Renaults and 2010-2011 Ferraris.