Red Bull and the team principal, Christian Horner are making headlines lately; one that includes two-time World Champion, Fernando Alonso. The seasoned driver joined Aston Martin for the 2023 season after former driver Sebastian Vettel announced his retirement around the conclusion of the previous season. This campaign was particularly happening for the driver and the team, fighting off the top contenders.
However, Alonso, being the senior driver on the grid, had a long career in Formula 1, with a few exits and comebacks. A video of the Spanish driver from 2018 driving for McLaren recently went viral on social media. Fernando had always been famous for his bold remarks and in this video, he shared all the nitty-gritty details of how the Austrian outfit approached the driver.
Fernando on Red Bull offering him a drive in 2018:
“I had a offer from Red Bull in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013 and two this year one in Monaco and one in August.”
— Aston Martin F1 updates (@startonpole) October 30, 2023
He stated, “I had a couple of Red Bull offers, in fact, I had them in 2007, 2009, 2011, and 2013 and two this year[2018]. They have chased me on five or six occasions over the last seven years. And now they say that – that they are loyal to their program and their junior drivers.”
In reply to this, Horner denied giving any such offers to Fernando Alonso. A similar situation was recreated in the 2023 season right ahead of the final race where Christian Horner claimed that Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton approached him for a possible switch. This led to an ugly to-and-fro argument between the members of the teams.
F1 rivals Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton’s historic feud reignites
In the climactic Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Mark Webber disciplined Fernando Alonso for what he deemed as “embarrassing” behavior in his clash with Lewis Hamilton. These two seasoned drivers, and World Champions nonetheless, exhibited an insignificant amount of frivolity during the race. The incident started when Alonso pulled out of the pits and Hamilton was right behind him.
Alonso about Hamilton overtake: He has a lot of talent and experience, but I have more.
👤 errece20#F1 #AbuDhabiGP pic.twitter.com/nMeLfD7oXl
— formuladank CEO (@formuladankCEO) November 26, 2023
The Spaniard abruptly applied the brakes earlier than planned at turn five, which left Lewis confused. The latter attempted to address the issue, accusing the Aston Martin driver of putting him through a braking test. While race officials briefly speculated into Alonso’s driving for anything that would indicate abnormal behavior, they concluded it was not worth investigating.
However, Fernando Alonso, in his defense, said, “We did the same in Canada, I think, in 2012. So 11 years after that episode, we try just to give the DRS to the other guy, braking for turn five. But in both cases, I won. So it’s okay. Obviously, Lewis is very clever, understands the sport really good, and has a lot of experience. But I have more.”
However, Webber was not pleased with this reply. The former Red Bull driver believed that such actions were highly risky, and given the history that Alonso shares with Lewis Hamilton, it was somewhat personal as well.
