Jean Alesi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jean Alesi
Alesi in 2019
Born	Giovanni Roberto Alesi (1964-06-11) 11 June 1964 (age 61) Avignon, Vaucluse, France
Spouse(s)	Laurence Bahrfeld ​ ​ (m. 1992; div. 1995)​ Kumiko Goto ​ (m. 1995)​
Children	4, including Giuliano
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	French
Active years	1989–2001
Teams	Tyrrell, Ferrari, Benetton, Sauber, Prost, Jordan
Entries	202 (201 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	1
Podiums	32
Career points	241
Pole positions	2
Fastest laps	4
First entry	1989 French Grand Prix
First win	1995 Canadian Grand Prix
Last entry	2001 Japanese Grand Prix
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years	1989, 2010
Teams	Schuppan, AF Corse
Best finish	16th (2010)
Class wins	0
IndyCar Series career
1 race run over 1 year
Team(s)	No. 64 (Fan Force United)
First race	2012 Indianapolis 500 (Indy)
Wins Podiums Poles 0 0 0
Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters career
Years active	2002–2006
Teams	Persson, HWA
Starts	62
Wins	5
Podiums	8
Poles	3
Fastest laps	1
Best finish	5th in 2002, 2003
Awards
2006	Knight of the Legion of Honour

Jean Alesi is a famous French former racing driver. He raced in Formula One, the highest class of car racing, from 1989 to 2001. He is best known for winning the 1995 Canadian Grand Prix with the famous Ferrari team.

After his Formula One career, Alesi continued racing in other series. He competed in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) from 2002 to 2006, winning several races. He also raced in the Speedcar Series, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the Indianapolis 500. Alesi retired from motor racing in 2012. Since 2013, he has been an ambassador for Pirelli, a well-known tyre company.

Early Life and Racing Beginnings

Jean Alesi was born Giovanni Roberto Alesi on June 11, 1964, in Avignon, France. His parents were from Sicily, Italy. His father, Franco, owned a car repair garage. Jean spent a lot of time there, which helped him develop a love for cars.

Jean's father also raced cars as a hobby in rallies and hillclimb events. Sometimes, he would lend his rally cars to a family friend, Jean Ragnotti, who later became a professional rally driver.

Starting in Motorsport

Jean Alesi first wanted to be a rally driver. He started karting at age 16. In 1983, he began racing cars in the French Renault 5 Turbo championship. He raced there for two seasons.

In 1987, he won the French Formula 3 title. This led him to move up to International Formula 3000 in 1988. In 1989, he joined the Jordan Formula 3000 team and won the championship. He also raced in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1989, but his car had to stop due to a fire.

Formula One Career Highlights

Tyrrell Team (1989–1990)

Jean Alesi started his Formula One career in 1989 with the Tyrrell team. He replaced Michele Alboreto at the 1989 French Grand Prix. Alesi finished fourth in his very first race, which impressed the team.

In 1990, Alesi became Tyrrell's main driver. At the first race in the United States, he led for 25 laps. He was even ahead of the legendary Ayrton Senna. Alesi finished second in that race and again at the 1990 Monaco Grand Prix. His strong performances made bigger teams want to sign him for 1991.

Ferrari Team (1991–1995)

Alesi driving for Ferrari at the 1991 United States Grand Prix.

Alesi decided to join Ferrari in 1991. He raced alongside Alain Prost. He finished third in several races, including Monaco and Germany. However, the Ferrari car was not very reliable that year.

In 1992, Alesi became Ferrari's top driver. He finished third at the 1992 Spanish Grand Prix in wet weather. He also got another third-place finish in Canada. The car was still not fast enough to win races.

In 1993, Gerhard Berger joined Alesi at Ferrari. The car was slow at first, but it improved later in the season. Alesi finished second at his home race in Monza, Italy.

Jean Alesi won his only Grand Prix race at the 1995 Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal.

The Ferrari car was much better in 1994. Alesi finished third in Brazil and Canada. He also took his first pole position at the 1994 Italian Grand Prix. This meant he started the race from the very front.

In 1995, Alesi had his best season with Ferrari. He finished second in Argentina and Imola. On his 31st birthday, at the 1995 Canadian Grand Prix, he won his first and only Formula One race! His car ran out of fuel right after crossing the finish line. Michael Schumacher gave him a ride back to the pits. Alesi finished fifth in the championship that year.

Benetton Team (1996–1997)

In 1996, Alesi moved to the Benetton team. He swapped places with Michael Schumacher, who went to Ferrari. Benetton had been very successful, but many key people left the team.

Alesi had a good year in 1996, with eight podium finishes. He finished second in Brazil, Spain, Germany, and Italy. He ended the season in fourth place in the drivers' championship, which was his best career result.

In 1997, Benetton's performance was not consistent. Alesi had some strong races, including second-place finishes in Canada, Britain, and Italy. He even took pole position at the Italian Grand Prix. However, he also had some unlucky moments and crashes. He finished fourth in the championship again.

Sauber Team (1998–1999)

Alesi joined the Sauber team in 1998. The car used Ferrari engines from the previous year. Even though the car was not as fast, Alesi still showed strong performances. He finished fifth in Argentina and sixth at Imola.

Alesi driving for Sauber at the 1999 Canadian Grand Prix.

He achieved his last Formula One podium finish at the rainy 1998 Belgian Grand Prix. He finished third behind the Jordan drivers. Alesi finished 11th in the championship that year.

In 1999, the Sauber car was slower and less reliable. Alesi scored points only twice, finishing sixth in San Marino and Japan. He decided to leave Sauber and join the Prost team.

Prost and Jordan Teams (2000–2001)

Alesi driving for Prost at the 2001 French Grand Prix.

For the 2000 season, Alesi joined the Prost team, owned by his former teammate Alain Prost. The car was very slow and often broke down. For the first time in his career, Alesi did not score any points that season.

In 2001, the Prost car was more reliable. Alesi scored points in Monaco and Canada. After the German Grand Prix, Alesi left Prost and joined the Jordan team. He had raced for Jordan in Formula 3000.

Alesi raced the last five races of 2001 for Jordan. He scored his final Formula One point in Belgium, finishing sixth. He made his 200th Formula One start in the United States Grand Prix. Alesi retired from Formula One at the end of the 2001 season.

Life After Formula One

German Touring Car Championship (2002–2006)

After leaving Formula One, Jean Alesi raced in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM). This is a popular German touring car championship. He drove for Mercedes.

Alesi driving for Mercedes-Benz (Persson Motorsport) in the 2006 DTM season.

Jean Alesi in his 2006 DTM-Mercedes racecar

In 2002, he finished fifth in the championship and won one race. He repeated this in 2003, winning two races. He continued to race in DTM until 2006, winning a total of five races.

Speedcar Series (2008–2009)

Alesi joined the Speedcar Series in 2008. This series featured many former Formula One drivers. He won two races in the first season and finished fourth in the championship. In the second season, he won three races and finished fifth.

Le Mans Series (2010)

In 2010, Alesi raced in the Le Mans Series in the GT2 class. He teamed up with another former F1 driver, Giancarlo Fisichella. They raced for the AF Corse Ferrari team. They finished on the podium three times.

Alesi, Fisichella, and their teammate Toni Vilander also raced in the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans. They finished fourth in their class.

Indianapolis 500 (2012)

In 2012, Alesi decided to race in the famous 2012 Indianapolis 500 race. He drove a car with a Lotus engine for the Fan Force United team. He started 33rd in the race. However, his car was not powerful enough, and he had to stop early.

In December 2012, Alesi announced that he planned to stop racing. He said he could not find enough sponsors for another season.

Driver Profile

Driving Style

Jean Alesi was known for his aggressive and passionate driving style. During his time at Ferrari, his style and the number 27 on his car led to comparisons with the legendary driver Gilles Villeneuve. He was also known for being very good at driving in wet weather conditions.

Helmet Design

Alesi's helmet was white with black and red lines on the front. This design was a tribute to another driver, Elio de Angelis. The top part of his helmet was a deep blue. In 1999, his helmet changed to silver because of a sponsor.

Other Activities

In 2011, Alesi became an ambassador for the Lotus Renault GP Formula One team. He also helped test their T125 single-seater project. He even appeared on the TV show Top Gear to help test one of these cars.

Since 2013, Jean Alesi has been an ambassador for Pirelli, a company that makes tyres.

Personal Life

Jean Alesi is married to Kumiko Goto, a Japanese model and actress. They have three children: a daughter named Helena and two sons, Giuliano and John. His son Giuliano Alesi is also a racing driver. Jean also has a daughter named Charlotte from his first marriage.

Jean Alesi enjoys wine and owns a vineyard near his hometown of Avignon, where he lives with his family. He is also a fan of the Italian football team Juventus.

In 2006, Jean Alesi was given the title of Knight in France's Legion of Honour. This is a very high award in France.

Racing Record

Career Summary

Complete International Formula 3000 Results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

* – Alesi won the 1989 title on countback, winning three races to Érik Comas' two.

Complete Japanese Formula 3000 Results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete Formula One Results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

24 Hours of Le Mans Results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
1989	Team Schuppan	Will Hoy Dominic Dobson	Porsche 962C	C1	69	DNF	DNF
2010	AF Corse	Giancarlo Fisichella Toni Vilander	Ferrari F430 GT2	GT2	323	16th	4th
Sources:

Complete Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

¹ - Shanghai was a non-championship round.

Complete American Open-Wheel Racing Results

(key)

IndyCar Series

Indianapolis 500

See also

In Spanish: Jean Alesi para niños

• Formula One drivers from France