Jean Alesi

Jean Alesi , born Giovanni Alesi the June 11th 1964 with Avignon (Vaucluse, France), sicilian parents, is a racing driver French.

Biography

Impassioned the beginning of its career by the rally more than by the race in circuit, it reached the single-seater by promotion in Renault 5. It conquered the championship of France of Formule 3 in 1987 and two years later that of Formule 3000, beating on the wire its rival Érik Comas.

It is also in 1989 that it began in Grand Prix with the circuit Paul Ricard for the French sleeve to replace the Italian pilot Michele Alboreto (left because of an incompatibility of sponsors) within the stable Tyrrell. Alesi marked the spirits by finishing fourth of this very first Grand Prix.

1990 were its first complete year in Formule 1, always at Tyrrell a team far from her gloss of antan. At the time of its first race to the the United States, benefitting from the excellent behavior of its Pirelli tires on the urban layout of Phoenix, Alesi created sensation by carrying out the thirty first turns in front of Ayrton Senna. Alesi pushed even the audacity until exceeding Senna a few hectometers only after one first attack of the Brazilian champion. Alesi finished finally second. It took down another second place, later in the season with Monaco.

Very courted by the largest stables of the moment, Alesi signed in the middle of the summer a pre-contract with Williams-Renault before letting speak its sicilian heart and signing finally at Ferrari. The arrival of Alesi coincided unfortunately for him at the beginning of one crisis period for Scuderia. In spite of disappointing results, he escaped nevertheless the multiple palace revolutions agitating mainly the Italian team in 1991 (successive dismissals of the sport director Cesare Fiorio, the pilot n°1 Alain Prost and of the president Piero Fusaro) thanks to his combativeness and his plume which recalled to demanding the tifosi Italian the memory of Gilles Villeneuve.

From 1993, under the impulse of Jean Todt, Scuderia amorça a slow return to the top. With the Grand Prix of Italy 1994, Jean Alesi signed his first pole position, in Monza. Alesi benefitted from it to deliver into 1995 some of its more beautiful races, often tarnished by a bad luck become almost proverbial. The black cat decided however to give up it on June 11th, 1995 (for its 31 years) with the GP of Canada, the mechanical concerns for Michael Schumacher enabling him to only sign its and single victory Formulates 1 of them. Paradoxically, this season 1995, its more beautiful in F1, marked the end of its history of love with Scuderia Ferrari, too occupied attracting itself the favors of Michael Schumacher, the best pilot of the moment.

Alesi replaces Schumacher at Benetton as from 1996. Benetton is then the stable world champion in title. The hopes were large to see Alesi packing its prize list, it of it was not however nothing. The disappointing performances of Benetton, succeeded quickly of the relations increasingly tended with Flavio Briatore, the sport director of the stable.

From 1998, Alesi joined the Swiss stable Sauber during two seasons, a team of medium of grid, for inevitably average results in spite of some great hits of glare. New challenge in 2000 with its arrival within the French stable Prost Grand Prix, directed by his/her friend and former fellow-member Alain Prost. It did not mark any point during the season 2000 but makes a success of some memorable performances in 2001, in particular in Monaco (6th) and Montreal (5th). But at the end of 18 months very disappointing, Alesi claqua the door as of the end of the Grand Prix of Germany to join the Jordan stable. At the end of the season, the Jordan stable did not propose a contract to him of prolongation for the year 2002, preferring to engage the Japanese pilot Takuma Sato to attract the favors of Honda. Jean Alesi then announced the end of his career in F1.

Its departure of F1 was not therefore synonymous with departure to the retirement. As from 2002, Alesi took part indeed in DTM with Mercedes and signed several victories. In 2006, it was not retained in the official teams Mercedes and of disputing the season in the engaging TEAM Persson of the Class C of the former season. That did not prevent it carrying out beautiful performances and from doing good match, even better than some pilot having a car 2006. Finally, at the end of 2006, Alesi announce its departure of the DTM.

Never with court of projects and always animated by the demon of the race, he announced in February 2007 that he was going to take part in a very new championship, the Speedcar Series. Proceeding in Asia and in the Middle East, this competition will put at the catches stock bus inspired of NASCAR.

Apart from the circuits, Alesi does not miss either activities. As a " Capitaine" of the team of France FFSA, he lavishes his councils with the young hopes of the French automobile sport. Alesi is also an excellent expert out of wine and it cultivates a vine close to its residence of Avignon. One could briefly see it by appearing in automobile film of sport Driven carried out by Renny Harlin.

Career

1987 : Formula 3 France (Champion)
1988: Formula 3000 with Oreca
1989: Formulate 3000 with Jordan (Champion)
1989: Formula 1 with Tyrrell - Cosworth
1990: Formulate 1 with Tyrrell-Cosworth
1991: Formulate 1 with Ferrari
1992: Formulate 1 with Ferrari
1993: Formulate 1 with Ferrari
1994: Formulate 1 with Ferrari
1995: Formulate 1 with Ferrari (1 victory)
1996: Formulate 1 with Benetton-Renault
1997: Formulate 1 with Benetton-Renault
1998: Formulate 1 with Sauber-Petronas
1999: Formulate 1 with Sauber-Petronas
2000: Formulate 1 with Prost-Peugeot
2001: Formulate 1 with Prost-Acer then Jordan-Honda
2002: DTM with Mercedes (2 victories)
2003: DTM with Mercedes (1 victory)
2004: DTM with Mercedes
2005: DTM with Mercedes (2 victories)
2006: DTM with Mercedes

Statistics

( After the Grand Prix of Japan 2001 ).

disputed Grands Prix : 201
Victories : 1 ( is 0,50% )
marked Points : 241 ( is 1,20 points per disputed race )
Pole Positions : 2 ( is 1,00% )
Second place in Grand Prix : 16 ( is 7,96% )
Third place in Grand Prix : 15 ( is 7,46% )
Podiums : 32 ( is 15,92% )
In the Points : 70 ( is 34,83% )
Records of the Turn : 4 ( is 1,99% )
Hat tricks ( Victoire/Pole position/Record of the turn ): 0 ( is 0,00% )
Abandons : 87 ( is 43,28% )
Tours at the head : 265
km at the head : 1.285
traversed Turns : 9.645
Kms traversed : 45.296
Beginnings in F1 : 1989 (Grand Prix of France, on the Circuit Paul Ricard, the July 9th 1989).
Last Grand Prix : 2001 (Grand Prix of Japan, on the international Circuit of Suzuka, the October 14th 2001).

Anecdotes

The helmet of Jean Alesi (white with a black band and a red band) is a homage to Elio de Angelis, Italian pilot deceased during tests deprived to the Paul Ricard in 1986.

Alain Prost is the godfather of one of the children of Jean Alesi.

External bonds

Official site
nonofficial Site

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