F1 driver Fernando Alonso delighted his fans by finishing third at the Australian Grand Prix – but followed it up by announcing that he and his long-term partner Andrea Schlager have split.
Alonso shared the news on his Instagram story with a photo of himself and Schlager, along with a caption that read, ‘We wanted to tell you that our relationship as a couple ended.
‘We have been lucky enough to share a fantastic time together, and it will continue to be so, but on a different form of affection.
‘As you have probably seen, we have continued working on and off track on various projects together also during this time, and we will keep doing so with deep love and respect for each other.
‘We thought it is appropriate to share this as you have all been very supportive. Thanks for that. Love Fer & Andrea.’
Alonso and Schlager during happier days before their breakup, which was announced just after the Australian Grand Prix on Sunday
The couple also thanked their fans for their support and noted that they would continue to work together on various projects with love and respect for each other.
Schlager, a sports commentator with a history in the F1 paddock, met the Spanish racing driver through her F1 commitments. Very little is known about their relationship, which has been kept out of the public eye for the most part.
Alonso is a two-time F1 world champion, winning the campaign in both 2005 and 2006. He has had a collection of relationships, having been previously married to Raquel del Rosario and engaged to Lara Alvarez.
Alonso has also previously been in relationships with Carolina Costa, Dasha Kapustina, and most recently, Linda Morselli.
Despite his past relationships, Alonso does not have any children. In 2018, he mentioned that his dedication to the sport had left him with ‘no friends, no family, no free time, no privacy, no wife and no kids.’
Alonso had preferred to keep his love life out of the public spotlight, but decided to let his fans know that his relationship has ended
Alonso celebrates coming third at the Australian Grand Prix with Aston Martin after a gripping battle with Lewis Hamilton – but the weekend wasn’t all good news for the Spaniard
During the Australian Grand Prix, Alonso finished in third place, spending the majority of the race attempting to hunt down Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes.
A tangle with Carlos Sainz looked to have ended his race, but he was granted a reprieve when the FIA opted to red flag the race again.
Alonso’s performance in Australia was noteworthy because, for the first time in 2023, a car other than a Red Bull finished ahead of him, with Hamilton coming in second.
Alonso used the opportunity to make a tongue-in-cheek joke at Sergio Perez’s expense while assessing the pecking order of the top cars in Melbourne.
Perez had joked in Bahrain about him, Max Verstappen, and Fernando Alonso ‘all being Red Bull drivers’ and that ‘it was nice to see three Red Bull cars on the podium!’
Alonso responded by saying, ‘No more three Red Bulls on the podium, if Checo was here.’
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