F1

Christian Horner made feelings clear on Red Bull signing Fernando Alonso

Christian Horner on Red Bull's success and hints at next step

Christian Horner has already suggested that he would not consider an ‘alpha’ driver such as Fernando Alonso to partner Max Verstappen at Red Bull. Speculation continues to swirl around the team’s second seat, which is currently occupied by a faltering Sergio Perez.

The 33-year-old is under contract until the end of next season, but Red Bull have consistently stopped short of categorically stating that he will be in place to see it out. Perez’s collision with Charles Leclerc on the first lap of the Mexican Grand Prix last time out invited Lewis Hamilton to close the gap in the race for second place in the Drivers’ Championship.

Alonso, meanwhile, is part of a stuttering Aston Martin team who have suffered a drastic decline in performances since the start of the season. Ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix, there are speculative murmurs that he could swap places with Perez in 2024.

However, Horner made it clear earlier this month that striking the right balance between two drivers is a vital part of building a productive, functioning team.

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When asked by Martin Brundle whether he would ever consider a driver such as Alonso or Hamilton to partner Verstappen, he told Sky Sports: “If you put two extreme alphas in a team it’ll tear the team apart. So you always want to achieve I think the right balance. That’s one of the biggest lessons that I’ve learned.”

Verstappen and Alonso are two of the most-thrilling, aggressive drivers in F1, and a partnership in the grid’s standout car would be certain to produce fireworks on track.

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Not many can match Alonso’s F1 achievements, with the Spaniard winning consecutive world titles and boasting 32 Grand Prix victories in total. Racking up more than three-times as many points as Lance Stroll this season has reminded fans just how much the 42-year-old still has to offer.

Alonso has made no secret of his respect for Verstappen, who has already sewn up his third Drivers’ Championship in a row. “Big congratulations,” said the Aston star earlier this month.

“It’s been an incredible season, breaking so many records and when you win so many races that were not easy races, sometimes they were tricky with weather conditions.

“In June and July, all the races were hit by rain on Saturdays or Sundays, and it was sometimes tricky. When you make no mistakes, and you deliver the job every Sunday, it deserves big respect.”

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