It has been claimed that Fernando Alonso received multiple offers to race for Red Bull, and Helmut Marko explained why this partnership did not materialize.
In an appearance on the Inside Line podcast, Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko was asked if there were any drivers he wanted to bring to the team but couldn’t for some reason. He discussed current McLaren driver Lando Norris, indicating that the possibility of signing him was on the table.
“We had a serious discussion, and at that time, we had a ready contract for Lando Norris at AlphaTauri. Unfortunately, we learned that he had two contracts, and one of them had a clause that prevented this collaboration,” Marko said.
Another driver Marko expressed disappointment in not being able to work with was two-time F1 World Champion Fernando Alonso. Marko said, “Before we started winning, I don’t remember the exact year, but I think it could have been 2008, we were in discussions with Alonso. But I think he didn’t take us seriously, and that’s why it didn’t happen.”
Earlier this year, Marko stated on the Formel1.de YouTube channel that he didn’t believe Alonso thought they could produce competitive cars to win the World Championship, which did not come to pass.
Details about how many times Alonso was offered a seat by Red Bull are unclear. In 2018, team principal Christian Horner said that Alonso wouldn’t be the “healthiest” choice for the team because he had a tendency to create “chaos” in the teams he raced for, a point Marko echoed earlier this year.
“Conversations took place. However, a harmonious working environment is very important for Max, and I don’t think that would have been the case with Alonso,” Marko stated.
Marko also noted the difficulty in envisioning a good working relationship between Alonso and Verstappen due to their vastly different personalities.
“No, I think that would be very difficult for a team. Alonso is the oldest World Champion, while Max would be the youngest, and there’s a generational gap between them,” he explained.
“I don’t think Alonso would do a simulator race or jump into the simulator immediately after a Grand Prix. So, they are two contrasting personalities; both are very good drivers and also very strong personalities. But when it comes to seeing who is faster, neither of them is very humble. And it would be very, very challenging to channel that positively for a team,” he added.
What is certain is that an agreement was offered to Alonso around 2007/2008 after unsuccessful negotiations with McLaren when he was entering his second term at Renault. Red Bull was still in the process of figuring out how to win until they achieved their first Grand Prix victory and competed for the championship in 2009.
Alonso reflected on his past approach, saying, “It was a somewhat stressful time; I had four days to make a decision. I was talking quite seriously with Ferrari, and at that time, I thought Ferrari was the safest and best choice for the future. I still take pride in that decision.” He added, “Maybe if you had a crystal ball, you would change your mind, but in 2009, you wouldn’t say no to Ferrari.”
In response to Horner’s 2018 comments, Alonso stated that he had received multiple offers from Red Bull, expressing that he found Horner’s statements contradictory.
Alonso said, “The truth is clear; I only know that he said he offered me a contract in 2007. But he did an interview on Red Bull TV where he mentioned that he offered me a seat several times, and if I had accepted in 2009, 2010, or 2013, I would likely have become a four-time world champion.”
“Yet apparently, he only offered me in 2007! So it seems he already knows the truth,” he concluded.
