Liberty Media wanted Red Bull to sign Alonso

It was the talk of the paddock by the time Formula One returned and everybody had their own opinion on the subject. Fernando Alonso's F1 career will come to a close in 2018 but talks of an offer from Red Bull didn't just garner the attention of the media, but of the owners of the sport also.

According to Christian Horner, Liberty Media was very keen on Red Bull signing Alonso for next season to line up alongside Max Verstappen in 2019. The Red Bull team principal revealed that the two-time champion was not on Red Bull's radar for next season but that the owners did make an attempt to persuade them otherwise.

"There was just an enquiry as to whether we would consider Fernando, which you can understand from a promoter's point of view: Fernando Alonso is a great asset to Formula One," he is quoted by GPfans.

The offer or lack of one was also a hot topic in Belgium, with Alonso claiming he had six different offers from the team and Horner denying the story, ultimately apologising to Alonso through an email over comments made over the weekend.

The Spaniard is set to retire with just two world championships to his name, a sum that does not do his talent and time in Formula One justice but he will attempt to become just the second person in history to complete motorsports fabled Triple Crown; winning the Monaco Grand Prix, Le Mans 24 hours and the Indy 500, an ambition which will see him likely enter IndyCar next season full time.