Alex Fontana

Karting

Fontana's passion for racing began in 1996 when he was three and a half years old in the Greek island of Rhodes, driving his first baby Puffo Kart. Until 2008, he raced in the Swiss National Championships and international events as a factory driver for Swiss Hutless and PCR International. Highlights include the Swiss Karting Championship 2007 KF3 title, the 2006 Biland 4 Stroke World Final win in Dubai, the Bridgestone Cup 2008 KF2 title win, and the Italian Open Master 2008 Runner Up, as well as qualifying for the World Karting Championship 2008 in La Conca, Italy.^{[citation needed]}

Single seaters

2009 came the switch to single-seaters after making it into the BMW Talent Scout event at Valencia in 2008. That year, Fontana raced in Formula Azzurra with MG Motorsport taking two wins and one additional podium. In 2010 there was the switch to Formula 3 with Corbetta Competizioni in the Italian Championship,^[4] before moving up in 2011 with the same team in the European Formula 3 Open.^[5] 2011 was a successful year for Fontana with two wins and nine podiums, allowing him to take the overall championship title.^[6] At the end of the year, he had the opportunity to test the Mercedes DTM for the HWA Team.^[7]

In August 2011, Fontana made his debut in the Formula One–supporting GP3 Series, replacing Vittorio Ghirelli at Jenzer Motorsport for the penultimate round of the season at Spa–Francorchamps.^[8] After finishing 14th in the first race, he took the final championship point in race two by finishing in sixth place.^[9][7]

In 2012, Fontana joined the FIA Formula 2 Championship^[10] with three podiums and a win, being selected at the end of the year by Lotus F1 Junior Team, thanks also to other points finish in GP3 Series in fourth place, again as a wild card entry and again with Jenzer Motorsport.^[7]

2013 was Fontana's first season with Lotus F1 Junior Team and his first full season with Jenzer Motorsport in the GP3 Series.^[11] He finished 17th in the standings with one podium finish. He also had his first Formula 1 test with Lotus F1 Team on 30 September at Circuit Paul Ricard.^[12]

In 2014, Fontana continued with Lotus F1 Junior Team in GP3 Series but switched to ART Grand Prix.^[13] He finished on the podium twice, but with only four races in the points out of eighteen, he finished 11th in the championship. At the end of the year, he joined the World Series 3.5 by Renault's official test in Jerez with Lotus Charouz signing the second best lap time.^[7]

2015 was a bit of a special year. Lotus was sold to Renault and this caused the exit from the Junior Program. Fontana raced again in GP3 Series with Status GP, with the Canadian team having some difficulties throughout the year and eventually exit the series. In the same year came the call from Pons Racing to replace Roberto Merhi in Monte Carlo, where he raced with Marussia F1. The first race in World Series 3.5 by Renault, the first race in the streets of Monaco, finished in the points with ninth place. At the end of the year, he was called by Jarno Trulli to compete in the FIA Formula E Championship last double-round of London Battersea Park, and with the best result in ninth place in the second qualifying. After that, the last single-seater experience to date was the official GP2 Series test in Abu Dhabi, with Status GP and Rapax Team, with the highest result of eighth in the standings.^{[citation needed]}

GT and touring cars

In 2016, Fontana switched GT cars, joining McLaren GT Academy for a Blancpain GT Endurance campaign and 24 Hours of Spa in PRO class. At the end of the year, it was called by KIA Motors to develop the new Super Production car for China Touring Car Championship, collecting a podium and a pole position in the debut weekends.^{[citation needed]}

2017 was again in Blancpain GT Endurance and 24 Hours of Spa but in PRO-AM, with the Mercedes AMG supported car of AKKA ASP and his Chupa-Chups livery. A highlight of the year is the overall best lap time in the two days of official testing in Paul Ricard on a field of 55 cars. He was signed by KIA Motors for the maximum number of rounds a foreign driver could complete, four, taking two pole positions, two wins, and one more podium.^{[citation needed]}

In 2018, Fontana raced for Emil Frey Jaguar Racing winning the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup - Silver Cup and also placing the car in the top-five in the overall standings two times out of five. In China, he was confirmed for the third year by KIA Motors in China Touring Car Championship. As a foreign driver, he disputed the four mandatory races on eight where, thanks to two victories, he allowed Kia to win the constructors' championship. He also took part in two VLN races to achieve the Permit A for the Nordschleife.^{[citation needed]}

2019 was opened by taking part in the first round of the VLN with the official Nissan KCMG team at the "65. ADAC Westfalenfahrt". In this year, Fontana was chosen as a driver for the official AMG team - Phantom Pro Racing in the China GT Championship, GT4 class, where, after an intense championship, he managed to win the title. He also raced for the fourth year in a row as an official Kia motors driver for Dongfeng Yueda Kia Racing Team in the China touring car championship for the maximum number of races allowed for a foreign driver. Thanks to his 84 points, the Dongfeng Yueda Kia Racing Team won the manufacturers' title for the second year in a row. Lastly, he has been involved in other motorsports competitions during the year including the China Endurance Championship as a driver for Lamborghini in GT3 class and as a coach for Volkswagen in TCR class. 2019 also saw Fontana engaged in collaborations with the Swiss television RSI for the events of Formula 1 and other motorsport shows.^{[citation needed]} In recognition for this year, Fontana was awarded by the Swiss Automobile Club an award for sports merit and a trophy in memory of Loris Kessel.^{[citation needed]}

In 2020, Fontana was meant to join three different competitions in Asia, as well as a comeback in the European competitions.^{[citation needed]} However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many competitions were canceled, and Fontana didn't take part in any of the competitions in Asia.

Fontana was confirmed to race with Adderly Fong in the Silver-Pro class of the GT World Challenge Asia behind the wheel of a Mercedes-AMG GT3 of the Zun Motorsport Crew. He, also, was still in contract to continue to race in the China GT Championship, that year in two classes: in a Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the GT3 class with Chris Chia and the Phantom Pro Racing Team, and, after the success of 2019, in the Mercedes-AMG GT4 in GT4 class.^{[citation needed]}

Furthermore, after a long stop of the activities, Fontana was called to compete in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup 2020, driving the new Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO of the AKKA ASP Team. The year was concluded with 11th place in the Endurance Cup.^{[citation needed]}

In 2021, Fontana competed again in Europe behind the wheel of the consolidated Emil Frey's Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo. This comeback was announced three years after his success in the Endurance Silver Cup with the Swiss Team. Fontana won the 2021 championship title in the Endurance Silver Cup, with his teammates Rolf Ineichen and Ricardo Feller, and he was the sole champion of the Sprint Silver Cup. At the end of the season, he was the unique winner of the combined Silver Championship title, with a gap of 28 points on the second placed, his teammate Ricardo Feller. Even if he was racing in the Silver category, Fontana also finished the year in fifth place overall among Pro drivers in the Sprint Championship. In addition, the endurance team was the protagonist of a record in this competition during the debut race in Monza, managing to become the first Silver cup team to finish the race on the overall podium, other than winning in their category.^{[citation needed]}

In June 2021, Fontana had taken part in his first 24 hours of Nürburgring, racing in the main class with the Konrad Motorsport's Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo.^{[citation needed]}

Fontana returned to the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe in 2023 after a year away, competing for his 2022 GT4 European Series employers Centri Porsche Ticino alongside Ivan Jacoma and Nicolas Leutwiler.^[14] With the new German team "Car Collection Motorsport", the line-up won the class title in the Endurance Cup with one race to spare, adding another championship to Fontana's palmarès.^{[citation needed]}

Career summary

^* Season still in progress.

Complete GP3 Series results

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

^‡ Half points awarded as less than 75% of race distance was completed.

Complete FIA Formula Two Championship results

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

Complete Formula Renault 3.5 Series results

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

Complete Formula E results

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

Complete GT World Challenge Europe results

Complete China Touring Car Championship results

Complete European Le Mans Series results

Complete China GT Championship results

^* Half points awarded due to red flag.

Complete 24 Hours of Nürburgring results

More information Year, Team ...

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
2021	Konrad Motorsport	Axcil Jefferies Michele Di Martino Tim Zimmermann	Lamborghini Huracán GT3	SP9	56	18th	17th

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Complete GT4 European Series results