Fernando Alonso is arguably still in his peak form as he was back in the early 2010s. The former Ferrari driver was so famous due to his F1 exploits that Spanish bank Santander insured his thumbs back in 2010. According to CNN, the value of this insurance was about 10 million euros which converted to $13.3 million back then. The sponsor felt Alonso’s thumbs were important and a symbol of his victories and success.
Given how long insurance policies last, the Aston Martin driver’s thumbs may still have this insurance from Santander. Back in the day, they made a statement about this deal, citing his thumbs as “a sign of victory and that everything is under control and well-protected.”
For Alonso, his thumbs play a key role in his Formula 1 driving. The two-time champion relies on them to precisely navigate through tricky corners and shift gears on his steering thousands of times in a single race. A little miscalculation and it can cost him dearly with a crash.
Back in the day, the Asturian driver was with Ferrari and Santander was also a sponsor for the Italian outfit. Following this insurance of his thumbs, he took part in an advertising campaign and a launch event near Madrid for the same.
¿Sabíais que en 2010, el Banco Santander le regaló a Fernando Alonso una póliza de vida y accidentes?
El seguro incluía una cobertura especial para sus pulgares por un valor de 10 millones de euros. A día de hoy sigue vigente pic.twitter.com/9JF68UqOCr
— David Moreno✨ (@_DMS16) January 24, 2022
About this unusual sponsor plus insurance deal, Alonso stated, “I knew that Santander is the best bank in the world but now I have also discovered that they are leaders in insurance, so I could only choose one of the best possible partners in this field”.
This was just before the 2010 Spanish GP when the local hero was going head-to-head with multiple drivers for the championship that year. Alonso had by then become a national hero, following his glorious championship seasons in 2005 and 2006 with Renault. While he agonizingly missed out on his third title in 2010, the Spaniard has persisted in his career to thrive till now.
Despite only two championships, Fernando Alonso is a highly-valued F1 driver
Fernando Alonso reportedly has a net worth of $260 million as of 2023. Even after a long drought of wins, the former McLaren driver is still one of the highest-paid drivers. As per Forbes, Alonso earned about $34 million in salary and bonuses in 2023 from Aston Martin.
When the 42-year-old had signed for the Silverstone team, people speculated it was only for money. While Alonso is the third highest-paid driver this season, he has proven his worth with his splendid performances. Back in 2022 as well, Alpine paid reportedly around $30 million, which put Alonso third on the highest-paid drivers’ list of Forbes.
Fernando Alonso compares Alpine to Aston Martin:
“At Aston Martin the priority is to win in F1, not to sell street cars” pic.twitter.com/Xs2IvYMjPQ
— Aston Martin F1 updates (@startonpole) December 8, 2023
All in all, the 32-time race winner had gained a lot of goodwill due to his experience in the sport. This also makes Alonso a popular face for endorsement deals and sponsors. The Spaniard started his own brand, Kimoa (which he later sold), and continues to be a proud ambassador of its merchandise and products.
Over the past two decades, Alonso has worked with several other popular brands. These brands include Santander, TAG Heuer, ING, Chandon, Adidas, Bang & Olufson, Liberbank, etc. Due to his unique, strong, and charming personality, the 42-year-old still attracts a large segment of the F1 fanbase.
