Imagine Fernando Alonso alongside Max Verstappen in a Red Bull Racing car. It’s a dream many Formula 1 fans have had. Yet, as long as Helmut Marko is on board, this won’t be happening. The Red Bull motorsport consultant has now shed light on the why’s and how’s.
In the world of Formula One, Fernando Alonso and Red Bull Racing have a history of missed connections. The talks about bringing Alonso to Red Bull have been happening for years, dating back to his earlier career phases. Despite these discussions, Alonso has always chosen a different path.
Back in 2016, Alonso recalled a significant moment when Red Bull offered him a seat in their Adrian Newey-designed RB4 after his stint with McLaren. “At the time, Red Bull was an energy drink, not a world championship team,” Alonso reflected. He added, with a bit of a smirk, “Nobody has a crystal ball!” One can only wonder how things might have turned out had Alonso joined Red Bull back in 2008. At that time, David Coulthard was nearing the end of his career, and Mark Webber was partnered with him. The team had an underwhelming season, finishing behind even their sister team, Toro Rosso.
Toro Rosso, notably, secured Red Bull’s first race win during a rain-soaked Italian Grand Prix with Sebastian Vettel at the wheel. If Alonso had taken Red Bull’s offer, Vettel’s rise might have been stunted, changing the course of both drivers’ careers. Instead of Vettel’s four consecutive world titles, it might have been Alonso on top of the podium.
Despite these twists and turns, Alonso harbors no regrets. “I don’t regret any of my decisions because at the time my heart told me to make them and I’m happy with them. I would rather be a happy man than have two more trophies at home,” he said. Following this decision, Alonso had stints at Renault, Ferrari, and a return to McLaren while Red Bull was becoming a dominant force in F1 by winning four consecutive Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships with Vettel.
During Red Bull’s championship-winning era, Alonso revealed that Red Bull approached him again, recognizing his exceptional talent. However, Alonso, then with Ferrari—a team struggling to keep up with Red Bull—turned them down. Even after returning to McLaren in 2015 amid their struggles, Alonso hinted at continued interest from Red Bull but stuck with his path, briefly retiring from F1 before rejoining Renault in 2021.
Fast forward to 2024, and Alonso’s career is yet again at a pivotal moment. With Red Bull considering a replacement for Sergio Perez, Alonso’s name surfaced, but he reaffirmed his commitment to Aston Martin. The parallels between Aston Martin’s potential and Red Bull’s early journey are not lost on Alonso. Both teams have shown promise but have yet to fully achieve their goals.
Helmut Marko confirmed that Red Bull was indeed weighing Alonso as an option for 2025 on the German-speaking formel1.de YouTube channel. Referring to Red Bull’s future seat vacancies and the potential of Alonso filling that spot, Marko acknowledged, “These discussions have taken place.” But he emphasized that Alonso’s addition was ultimately declined due to the importance of maintaining harmony for Max Verstappen. “A harmonious working environment is very important for Max and I think that would probably not have been the case with Alonso.”
Marko further explained the difficulty of integrating such contrasting personalities. “Alonso would be the oldest world champion in the team, Max the youngest, the two are generations apart.” Alonso is 42, while Verstappen is 26, highlighting a significant generational gap.
Sergio Perez remains Verstappen’s teammate for now, with his contract set to expire at season’s end, though talks for an extension are in the air.
While the idea of Alonso in a Red Bull Racing car remains a tantalizing ‘what if’ scenario, the practicality of team dynamics and generational contrasts keeps it a dream unfulfilled. For now, fans can only imagine what might have been as Alonso continues his journey with Aston Martin.
