At a key moment in the history of Red Bull Racing, its former director, Christian Horner, has shared details about his attempts to incorporate Fernando Alonso and Charles Leclerc into the team during 2025. Both world-renowned drivers were considered as possible successors for the second driver seat alongside Max Verstappen.
Horner, in his upcoming book titled “Drive”, explores his decision-making process during his long tenure at the helm of the team. After a weaker season from Sergio Pérez, who had helped the team achieve significant successes, Horner felt the need to explore new options.
Alonso, who at that time was competing for Aston Martin, expressed interest in a dialogue with Horner during the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix. According to him, “Fernando even told me that he would love to race alongside Max next season”. However, Verstappen’s team, through Helmut Marko, expressed its opposition to this idea, creating an insurmountable barrier for the signing.
With Alonso’s name ruled out, Horner turned his attention to Leclerc, whom he considered to be a driver perfectly suited to Red Bull’s needs. “He was fast, had good qualifying performance, and a determined character,” Horner mentioned. However, the response was the same as with Alonso: the proposal was rejected.
Horner expressed his disappointment, clarifying that the opposition did not come from Verstappen. In his account, he states: “I knew right away that that decision did not come from Max; someone had decided that it wasn’t the right time to make these signings”.
Ultimately, the vacant seat was filled by Liam Lawson, a young and inexperienced driver. “I didn’t feel comfortable with that decision,” admits Horner, who saw Lawson as a temporary solution before resuming the search for a more experienced driver.
With these revelations, Horner’s figure presents itself as an executive who wanted change but was limited by external decisions. The analysis of what has happened in the team’s preparation remains open, with more details on the horizon.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
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