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Horner explains: 'That's why Red Bull talked to Alonso in early '24'
- Ludo van Denderen
The announcement finally broke in the final days of 2024: Sergio Perez will be replaced at Red Bull by Liam Lawson, a relatively inexperienced driver, to be Max Verstappen's new teammate. The four-time world champion is known to eat his teammates alive and so, perhaps someone who will not be 'intimidated' by the Dutchman would have been better?
Someone like Fernando Alonso, for example, a two-time world champion and seasoned in the sport. The fact is that before extending his contract at Aston Martin in early 2024, the Spaniard had talks with Red Bull about a possible seat alongside Verstappen and as Perez's replacement. At that time, however, there was no talk of a farewell to the Mexican.
So why Christian Horner sat down with Alonso anyway? "Well, at that time, Sergio's contract hadn't been extended, so as Fernando is a seasoned operator, you know, he always wants to know all of his options, and between him and his manager or advisor of many years, Flavio, they're always testing the market, and it just shows how hungry and competitive he is," Horner said.
Horner complimenting Alonso
Horner has a lot of admiration for Alonso. "He's still delivering at 42 years of age. Is he 42? 43. He's still in great shape and it just shows that age is just a number. So, yeah, you know, he's still a very, very capable Grand Prix driver and given the tools, I'm sure he'd be at the front."
Meanwhile, it is clear that Alonso will remain active in Formula 1 for at least another two years. He finally extended his contract with Aston Martin.
This article was written in collaboration with Norberto Mujica
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