Biography

Jean Robert Alesi (French pronunciation: [ʒã a.lɛ.si]; born Giovanni Roberto Alesi, 11 June 1964) is a French professional racing driver. He competed in Formula One between 1989 and 2001, including spells at Tyrrell, Benetton, Sauber, Prost, Jordan and Ferrari, where he proved very popular among the Tifosi. He won the 1995 Canadian Grand Prix, but this proved to be the only win of his Formula One career. During his time in Formula One, Alesi was particularly good in the wet and was a mercurial and passionate racer, whose emotions sometimes got the better of him.

Born and raised in Avignon, Vaucluse, Alesi started karting at the age of 16 with a desire to eventually compete in rallying. He progressed to open-wheel car racing in 1983, participating in French Renault 5 Turbo. After winning the French Formula Three Championship in 1987, Alesi moved up to International Formula 3000 the year after. Despite the struggles during the inaugural season, his performances for the Jordan Formula 3000 team in the 1989 season led to a 1989 Formula One drive with Tyrrell Racing, replacing Michele Alboreto. Alesi eventually won the International Formula 3000 championship with three race wins, edging out his title rival with the same amount of points, Érik Comas.

After leaving Formula One, Alesi raced in the DTM championship from 2002 to 2006, winning some races with his best result being a fifth place in the drivers' championship. He raced in the Speedcar Series in 2008 and 2009 and raced at Le Mans in 2010. He raced in the Indianapolis 500 in 2012 and became the oldest professional driver to perform the rookie test for admission to the competition. For several years, he was also a commentator for the Italian TV show Pole Position. Alesi became a Knight of the Legion of Honour in 2006.