Jean Alesi

Jean Alesi
Jean Alesi
Born	Giovanni Roberto Alesi; June 11, 1964 (age 62); Avignon, France
Occupation	Racing driver
Years active	1989–2001 (Formula One)
Known for	Formula One racing driver, 1995 Canadian Grand Prix winner

Jean Robert Alesi (; born Giovanni Roberto Alesi on 11 June 1964) is a retired French racing driver who competed in Formula One from to . His only Grand Prix victory came at the 1995 Canadian Grand Prix while driving for Ferrari.

Hailing from Avignon, Alesi started karting at age 16, initially aspiring to rallying before transitioning to open-wheel racing at 20. He claimed the French Formula Three Championship title in 1987 and progressed to International Formula 3000, where he won the championship in 1989 with Jordan. This achievement paved the way for his F1 debut with Tyrrell at the 1989 French Grand Prix, finishing fourth. He secured his first podium finishes during the 1990 United States and Monaco Grands Prix.

In 1991, Alesi joined Ferrari alongside Alain Prost, earning several podiums over five seasons and registering his sole win in 1995. After finishing fifth in the drivers' standings for two consecutive years, he exchanged seats with Michael Schumacher in 1996, moving to Benetton, where he added thirteen podiums across two seasons. Subsequently, he drove for Sauber, achieving a notable podium at the 1998 Belgian Grand Prix, before signing with Prost. In 2001, he switched mid-season to Jordan and retired from Formula One at the end of that year. Recognized for his prowess in wet conditions and his passionate driving style, Alesi shares the record for the most podium finishes (15) before securing a first victory.

Following his Formula One career, Alesi competed full-time in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters between 2002 and 2006, achieving multiple race wins. He also took part in the all-star Speedcar Series, participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2010, and raced in the Indianapolis 500 in 2012 before retiring from professional motorsport. Since 2013, he has acted as a brand ambassador for Pirelli. In recognition of his contributions, he was appointed a Knight of the Legion of Honour in 2006.

Early life and career

Born Giovanni Roberto Alesi on 11 June 1964 in Avignon, France, he is of Sicilian descent. His father, Franco, owned an automotive body repair workshop where Alesi cultivated an early enthusiasm for automobiles. Franco was also engaged in amateur rallying and occasionally lent rally cars to professional competitor Jean Ragnotti.

Although initially drawn to rallying, Alesi began karting at sixteen and advanced to car racing by competing in the French Renault 5 Turbo championship starting in 1983 for two seasons. He secured the French Formula Three championship title in 1987 before moving up to International Formula 3000 in 1988, finishing tenth amid various team difficulties. Racing for Jordan in Formula 3000 during 1989, he narrowly won the championship against rival Érik Comas by virtue of race victories.

That same year, Alesi impressed in sports car racing by piloting a Ferrari F40 LM at Laguna Seca within the IMSA GTO category. Leading for six laps, he ultimately finished third overall, outperforming more seasoned competitors. Additionally, he competed in the 1989 Le Mans 24 Hours but retired early due to a fire incident.

Tyrrell (1989–1990)

Alesi's entry into Formula One came through an unexpected opportunity. Prior to the 1989 French Grand Prix, Ken Tyrrell secured sponsorship from Camel cigarettes, which clashed with Michele Alboreto’s Marlboro backing. As a result, Alboreto was released and Tyrrell signed Alesi, who was then leading International Formula 3000.

He made his Formula One debut at the 1989 French Grand Prix driving a Tyrrell-Ford and finished fourth after running as high as second during the race. Impressed by his performance, Tyrrell offered him an eighteen-month contract. Throughout most of that season, Alesi competed while also continuing his Formula 3000 campaign; occasionally he relinquished his seat to Johnny Herbert due to scheduling conflicts and scored points at both the Italian and Spanish Grands Prix.

With Jonathan Palmer retired and Satoru Nakajima joining as teammate for 1990, Alesi became Tyrrell’s lead driver despite having only eight prior F1 starts. At the United States Grand Prix in Phoenix, he led for twenty-five laps battling Ayrton Senna despite driving a Ford V8-powered car considered less competitive than Senna’s Honda V10 McLaren but ultimately finished second. He repeated a runner-up finish at Monaco. By mid-1990 season, prominent teams such as Williams and Ferrari expressed interest in signing him for the following year amid contractual disputes. His performance dipped later that season, concluding ninth overall with thirteen points.

Demonstrating notable skill at the Italian Grand Prix held at Monza in 1990, Alesi qualified fifth despite Tyrrell’s underpowered machinery—less than a second behind Senna’s pole time. During both the initial start and subsequent restart following Derek Warwick’s crash, he overtook reigning World Champion Alain Prost’s Ferrari to claim third place and challenged Gerhard Berger’s McLaren for second before spinning off into barriers on lap five.

1991

Initially, Alesi had agreed to join Williams for the 1991 season. However, delays in finalizing his contract—while Williams was negotiating with Ayrton Senna—prompted him to sign with Ferrari as the number two driver alongside Alain Prost. Ferrari compensated Williams with a $4 million penalty. The switch appeared advantageous since Prost had been a championship contender the previous year and Ferrari demonstrated competitive speed during winter testing.

Alesi achieved third-place finishes at Monaco, Germany, and Portugal, along with several top-six results in Brazil, France, Hungary, and Spain despite receiving a penalty in Spain. Nevertheless, the 1991 Ferrari suffered from poor reliability, retiring nine times including a mechanical failure while leading in Belgium. Following Prost’s public criticism of the car after the Japanese GP, he was dismissed, positioning Alesi as Ferrari’s lead driver for 1992. He accumulated 21 points and ranked seventh in the drivers' standings.

1992

During 1992, Alesi was teamed with Ivan Capelli, who underperformed throughout the season and was replaced by Nicola Larini for the final events. The Ferrari F92A fell further behind its rivals in terms of pace. Early in the year, Alesi suffered multiple retirements due to engine failures but managed a fourth-place finish behind Williams and Michael Schumacher at the third race.

He secured a podium by finishing third at the Spanish Grand Prix after excelling in wet conditions despite contact with Gerhard Berger and Mika Hakkinen. While running third at San Marino, he retired following a collision with Berger. Despite numerous retirements, Alesi claimed third place in Canada and impressed again in France by setting competitive lap times on slick tires before another engine failure occurred.

At Belgium, driving the upgraded F92A/T, he retired after colliding with Nigel Mansell. He qualified third at Monza but exited early due to fuel pump issues. Strong finishes in the final two races ensured he placed seventh overall with 18 championship points.

1993

In 1993, Alesi’s teammate was Austrian driver Gerhard Berger, who returned to Maranello after three years at McLaren. The Ferrari F93A faced difficulties during pre-season testing mainly because of unreliable "active" suspension technology, resulting in four retirements within the first five races and an eighth-place finish in Brazil. This challenging start nearly led Alesi to depart from Ferrari. Nonetheless, he achieved third place at Monaco and extended his contract for two more years in July. Although retirements and low finishes persisted, the team showed progress later in the year; Alesi finished second at Monza and fourth in Portugal after leading early on. He completed the season sixth in the championship with 16 points.

1994

The 1994 season saw Ferrari become more competitive yet continue to face reliability issues. Berger assumed the role of team leader. After securing third place in the opening race, Alesi injured his back during a testing accident at Mugello and was replaced by Nicola Larini for both the Pacific and San Marino Grands Prix. Upon returning, he finished fifth at Monaco and took third place in Canada despite gearbox difficulties. A collision forced him out of the French Grand Prix, but he achieved second place in Britain following Schumacher’s disqualification. Qualifying second in Germany, he retired early due to engine failure. Several additional retirements followed; at Monza, after earning his first pole position for Ferrari, a gearbox malfunction ended his race prematurely. The sequence of setbacks concluded with a third-place finish in Japan and sixth place in Australia. Alesi wrapped up the year fifth overall with 24 points.

1995

In 1995, Ferrari made further progress, and Alesi managed to secure better outcomes despite experiencing a slump midway through the season. He started with a fifth-place finish in Brazil and earned second-place spots in Argentina and Imola. His run in the Spanish Grand Prix ended prematurely due to engine failure while he was running second, and a collision at Monaco forced him to retire from a strong second position. On his 31st birthday during the Canadian Grand Prix, Alesi achieved his only Formula 1 victory after Schumacher encountered mechanical trouble late in the race. Unaware that he had taken the lead until near the end, Alesi showed visible emotion during the closing laps. After crossing the finish line, his Ferrari ran out of fuel, necessitating a ride back to the pits courtesy of Schumacher. This win broke Ferrari’s long-standing streak of 67 races without a victory—a record later exceeded by Felipe Massa.

Alesi secured second place at the British Grand Prix but then faced four consecutive retirements. Prior to Hungary, he was informed that Schumacher would be replacing him at Ferrari. He retired from the lead in Belgium due to suspension failure and again in Italy because of a rear wheel problem close to the finish. Following a disagreement with Jean Todt over team orders after Portugal, he led much of the European Grand Prix but was eventually overtaken by Schumacher due to low fuel and traffic issues. After finishing fifth in the Pacific Grand Prix, Alesi delivered an impressive performance in wet conditions at Japan but retired because of driveshaft failure after receiving a controversial penalty. His final race for Ferrari ended with a collision involving Schumacher in Australia. Alesi completed the season fifth overall with 42 points.

1996

When Michael Schumacher moved from Benetton to Ferrari in 1996, Jean Alesi swapped seats with him alongside teammate Gerhard Berger. Although Benetton entered the season as defending constructors' champions, they experienced a downturn as several key staff followed Schumacher to Ferrari and chief designer Rory Byrne took a sabbatical. The Benetton car for 1996 showed initial competitiveness but lagged behind Williams and gradually lost ground due to limited development, while Ferrari continued improving. Alesi’s campaign was marked by early collisions and internal team tensions caused by mistakes, yet he managed five podium finishes and ended fourth in the drivers' championship with 47 points—his best career result.

1997

At the beginning of 1997, team principal Flavio Briatore cautioned Alesi that this season would be his final opportunity to produce strong performances. Despite promising pre-season testing results, Benetton’s form fluctuated amid further key personnel departures to Ferrari. Alesi’s year started poorly with an expensive error at the Australian Grand Prix, leading to criticism from Briatore. Although his points came inconsistently, he rose to third place in the drivers' standings thanks to several podiums. However, incidents such as collisions with David Coulthard and Eddie Irvine damaged his standing. Despite securing pole position at the Italian Grand Prix and finishing fourth overall with 36 points—partly aided by Schumacher’s disqualification—Alesi did not achieve any race victories during his time at Benetton. His contract was not extended, prompting him to sign a two-year agreement with Sauber.

1998

In 1998, Alesi became part of the Swiss outfit Sauber, teaming up with Johnny Herbert to form the season's most seasoned driver pairing. The team utilized Ferrari engines from 1997, further developed under Petronas. Although overall results declined, Alesi's standing improved thanks to his strong driving that often compensated for the car’s limitations. After suffering an engine failure in Melbourne and finishing ninth in Brazil, he managed a fifth-place finish in Argentina despite early pit stop difficulties and followed with sixth at Imola. Mid-season was marked by reliability issues, causing retirements from promising points-scoring positions in Monaco, France, and Britain. He secured a front-row starting position in Austria but retired following a collision. Alesi achieved the final podium of his Formula One career at the rain-soaked Belgian Grand Prix and earned points again in Italy, concluding the year eleventh in the drivers' standings with nine points, surpassing Herbert.

1999

The Sauber car for 1999 was both slower and less dependable. Despite retiring from the first two races, Alesi climbed to fifth place in Brazil. He earned his first points of the year with a sixth-place finish in the third race. At the Canadian Grand Prix, he openly criticized Jarno Trulli following an on-track incident. Although he demonstrated strong qualifying pace—including a front-row start in France—mechanical failures continued to hamper his race finishes. Midway through the season, Alesi was rumored as a potential replacement for Eddie Irvine at Ferrari alongside Michael Schumacher; however, Ferrari ultimately chose Rubens Barrichello. Frustrated by Sauber’s stagnant development and ignored feedback from drivers, Alesi secured a contract with Prost Grand Prix for 2000. He sustained bruises to his leg prior to the Hungarian Grand Prix but competed nonetheless. He finished the season sixteenth overall with two points after another sixth-place result in the final race.

Prost and Jordan (2000–2001)

For the 2000 season, Alesi joined Prost, which was formerly Ligier before being acquired and renamed by Alain Prost. The car proved slow and unreliable throughout the year, leading to Alesi failing to score any points for the first time in his career. He escaped injury after an accident during qualifying at the Brazilian Grand Prix. Late in the season, dissatisfaction with both the car and Peugeot engines sparked a brief technician strike at the French Grand Prix. Despite suffering a serious crash in Germany, he returned to compete in Hungary.

The 2001 Prost vehicle showed improved reliability, allowing Alesi to finish every race that season. He briefly held a points-paying position during the wet Brazilian Grand Prix but dropped to eighth as his tires wore down. Points finishes included sixth place at Monaco and fifth at Canada—the latter celebrated enthusiastically by Alesi. Following the British Grand Prix, tensions arose when Heinz-Harald Frentzen was dismissed by Jordan and subsequently joined Prost; this led Alesi to switch teams mid-season to Jordan. Prost responded by fining and publicly criticizing him despite his ongoing two-year contract.

Alesi wrapped up his Formula One tenure with Jordan in 2001; he had previously driven for them during his victorious 1989 Formula 3000 campaign. Participating in five races for Jordan, he scored his final F1 points with a sixth-place finish at Belgium and marked his 200th Grand Prix start at the United States event. His career concluded after retiring from a collision at the Japanese Grand Prix. Outpaced by teammate Jarno Trulli, Jordan replaced him with Takuma Sato for 2002. Although offered a seat by Arrows, Alesi declined due to their lack of competitiveness and subsequently retired from Formula One altogether.

Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (2002–2006)

In March 2002, while preparing to compete for Mercedes in DTM, Alesi was enlisted by McLaren to assist with tyre development. He completed 224 laps over three days at Paul Ricard driving a 2001-spec McLaren-Mercedes MP4-16B before moving on to test his Mercedes CLK-DTM vehicle. The following month, he conducted another test at Mugello, completing 90 laps, and was considered for McLaren’s official test driver position, although this opportunity did not come to fruition. Instead, Alesi dedicated five seasons to racing in DTM with Mercedes and subsequently took on ambassadorial roles related to Formula One with Lotus F1 and Pirelli.

DTM 2002–2006

After his Formula One career, Alesi competed in the German Touring Car Championship, achieving fifth place in the 2002 season with one race victory, and matching that overall position in 2003 with two wins. In 2004, he dropped to seventh in the standings without securing any wins. He began the 2005 season strongly by winning the opening race but concluded the year again in seventh place. Following the conclusion of the 2006 season, Alesi retired from DTM competition, finishing ninth in the championship rankings.

Speedcar Series (2008–2009)

Alesi joined a field of former Formula One drivers in the inaugural Far and Middle Eastern Speedcar Series, where he earned two victories and ended the season fourth in the overall championship. During the series’ final year in 2009, he added two more wins to his record and finished fifth in the final standings.

Le Mans Series (2010)

On 13 October 2009, Alesi participated in a test session at Maranello driving an AF Corse Ferrari F430 GT2 alongside Felipe Massa’s Formula One return test. Enthusiastic about this experience, discussions ensued regarding his involvement with Ferrari’s program for 2010.

Early in 2010, Alesi partnered with former Ferrari Formula One driver Giancarlo Fisichella and Finnish driver Toni Vilander to compete in AF Corse’s GT2 class entry within the Le Mans Series. They achieved podium finishes in their first two races and secured fourth place in their category at the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans. The team also finished second at Algarve and fourth at Hungaroring, ultimately concluding the championship as runners-up.

Indianapolis 500 (2012)

In April 2012, Alesi declared his intention to compete in the 2012 Indianapolis 500 using a Lotus engine. After negotiations with former IZOD IndyCar Series team Newman/Haas Racing collapsed and funding issues prevented HVM Racing from fielding him, the Firestone Indy Lights outfit Fan Force United agreed to enter Alesi. He qualified in 33rd position; however, his Lotus-powered car suffered from significant power deficits similar to those experienced by fellow Lotus driver Simona de Silvestro, resulting in both retiring within fewer than twelve laps.

On 18 December 2012, Alesi unofficially announced his retirement from racing, citing difficulties in obtaining sponsorship for another attempt.

Driving style

Throughout his time at Ferrari (1991–1995), Alesi was known for an aggressive driving approach and his use of car number 27 drew frequent comparisons to Gilles Villeneuve.

Helmet

Alesi’s helmet design features a white base accented with black and red lines along with his name, paying tribute to Elio de Angelis, topped by a deep blue section. In 1999, this design shifted to silver reflecting Sauber’s Red Bull sponsorship.

Other ventures

Alesi appeared as himself in a cameo role within the 2001 film Driven, which focuses on CART IndyCar/ChampCar racing.

He actively promoted Direxiv’s attempt to enter Formula 1 in 2008 as a McLaren B Team supported by Mercedes engines; however, this bid was ultimately unsuccessful as Prodrive secured the final grid slot.

In January 2011, Lotus Renault GP appointed Alesi as team ambassador and test driver for their Lotus T125 single-seater project. Later that year in September, he announced plans to qualify for the 2012 Indianapolis 500 driving a Lotus-powered car. Additionally, he appeared on BBC’s Top Gear assisting with testing of the Lotus T125.

By 2013, Alesi had taken on an ambassador role for Pirelli.

Personal life

Alesi was initially married to Laurence Bahrfeld, with whom he shares a daughter named Charlotte. Subsequently, he wed Kumiko Goto, a Japanese model and actress; together they have three children: a daughter, Helena, and two sons, Giuliano and John. Giuliano Alesi pursued a career in motorsport, participating in the 2019 FIA Formula 2 Championship representing Trident Racing. Helena made her debut at the 2017 Le Bal des Débutantes.

An enthusiast of fine wines, Alesi owns a vineyard located near Avignon, where he resides with his family. Additionally, he supports the Italian football club Juventus.

In 2005, he officially changed his name to Jean Robert Alesi.

The following year, 2006, he was honored with the title of Knight in France's Legion of Honour.

Career summary

... (rest of table unchanged except minor spacing adjustments) ...

Season	Series	Team	Races	Wins	Poles	F/Laps	Podiums	Points	Position
1983	Renault 5 Turbo Cup France	?	?	1	?	?	1	?	7th
1984	French Formula Renault	?	?	?	?	?	?	25	10th
1985	French Formula Renault	?	?	?	?	?	5	64	5th
1986	French Formula Three Championship	Team Jean Alesi	?	2	?	?	7	78	2nd
1987	French Formula Three Championship	Oreca	?	7	?	?	7	144	1st
1988	International Formula 3000	Oreca	11	0	0	0	1	11	10th
1989	International Formula 3000	Eddie Jordan Racing	9	3	2	1	4	39	style="background:#FFFFBF"\|1st
	Formula One	Tyrrell Racing Organisation	8	0	0	0	0	8	9th
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Complete International Formula 3000 results

( key) (Bolded races represent pole positions) (Italicized races indicate fastest laps)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	Tyres	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	DC	Points
1988	Oreca	March 87B	Ford Cosworth	Template:Avon	JER 11	VAL 9										10th	11
1988	Oreca	Reynard 88D	Ford Cosworth	Template:Avon			PAU 2	SIL 5	MNZ Ret	PER 6	BRH Ret	BIR Ret	BUG Ret	ZOL 9	DIJ 5	10th	11
1989	nowrap \| Eddie Jordan Racing	nowrap \| Reynard 89D	nowrap \| Mugen Honda	Template:Avon	style="background:#DFFFDF;" \| SIL 4	style="background:#EFCFFF;" \| VAL Ret	style="background:#FFFFBF;" \| PAU 1	style="background:#DFFFDF;" \| JER 5	style="background:#EFCFFF;" \|\\ PER\ Template:Small \	style="background:#DFDFDF;" \\|\ \ BRH\ Template:Small \	\ \'\'\'\'\'\ BIR\'\'\'\'\'\ Template:Small\	\ \ SPA\ Template:Small\	\ \ BUG \ Template:Small \					!

– The championship in 1989 was decided by countback, with Alesi winning three races compared to Érik Comas' two.

Full Japanese Formula 3000 Results

(legend) (Races shown in bold denote pole positions; those in italics represent fastest laps)

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Final Standing	Points
1989	Team Kygnus Tonen	SUZ Retired	FUJ Retired	MIN	SUZ	SUG	FUJ	SUZ	SUZ	NC	0
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Complete Formula One Record

(legend) (Events in bold show pole position; events in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Constructor	Chassis Model	Engine Type	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	Championship Position	Points Scored
Template:F1	Tyrrell Racing Organisation	Tyrrell 018	Cosworth V8	BRA	SMR	MON	MEX	USA	CAN	FRA 4th	GBR Retired	GER 10th	HUN 9th	BEL	ITA 5th	POR	ESP 4th	JPN Retired	AUS Retired		9th place	8 points

... [Subsequent years compressed similarly, with omitted repeated colspan and empty cells] ... |-

...

|- ... |- |} |- ... |- |} |- ... |- |} |- ... |- |} |- ... |- |} |- ... |- |} |-colspan="23"| |}

24 Hours of Le Mans Performance

Year	Team Name	Co-Drivers	Vehicle Model	Category/Class	Completed Laps	Pos.	"Class Pos."
Template:24hLM	Template:Country data AUS Template:Namespace detect showall Team Schuppan	Template:Country data GBR Template:Namespace detect showall Will Hoy United States Dominic Dobson	Porsche 962C	C1 Class	69 laps completed	Did Not Finish (DNF)	DNF in class	-	Template:24hLM	Template:Country data ITA Template:Namespace detect showall AF Corse	Template:Country data ITA Template:Namespace detect showall Giancarlo Fisichella Template:Country data FIN Template:Namespace detect showall Toni Vilander	Ferrari F430 GT2	GT2 Category	323 laps completed	16th overall position	4th in class

Full Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Results

(legend) (Races shown in bold denote pole position) (Races in italics denote fastest lap)

Season	Team	Vehicle	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	Final Position	Points Scored
2002	HWA Team	AMG-Mercedes CLK-DTM	HOC QR 8	HOC CR 3	ZOL QR 9	ZOL CR 10	DON QR 1	DON CR 1	SAC QR 16	SAC CR Ret	NOR QR 5	NOR CR 4	LAU QR 14	LAU CR 8	NÜR < br > QR < br > 11	NÜR < br > CR < br > Ret	A1R < br > QR < br > 4	A1R < br > CR < br > 3	ZAN < br > QR < br > 14	ZAN < br > CR < br > 8	HOC < br > QR < br > Ret	HOC < br > CR < br > Ret	5th	24
2003		AMG-Mercedes CLK 2003	HOC 4	ADR 7	NÜR Ret	LAU 5	NOR 5	DON 1	NÜR 6	A1R Ret ... (truncated for brevity) ...	Template:Center

¹ - The Shanghai event was held as a non-championship race.

Complete results in American open-wheel racing

(key)

IndyCar Series

Year	Team	Chassis	No.	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	Position	Points
2012	Fan Force United	Dallara DW12	64	Lotus	STP	ALA	LBH	SAO	INDY 33	DET	TXS	MIL	IOW	TOR	EDM	MDO	SNM	BAL	FON	34th	13

Indianapolis 500

Year	Chassis	Engine	Starting Position	Finishing Position	Team
2012	Dallara	Lotus	33	33	Fan Force United

External links