Christian Horner has spoken about Red Bull’s interest in Fernando Alonso in 2025, but they actually had the chance to sign him much earlier.

Horner held talks with Alonso as the team looked for a replacement for Sergio Perez after his contract was cancelled at the end of 2024. However, Red Bull eventually signed Liam Lawson from Racing Bulls, a move that would only last two races.

Alonso was keen to drive for Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen, but after the move did not materialise, he committed to Aston Martin. It marked the second time in his career that he did not sign a deal with Horner’s team.

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Red Bull held ‘serious discussions’ with Fernando Alonso for 2008 but he only wanted a one-year deal

Speaking on The F1 Show, Horner spoke about the drivers Red Bull missed out on over the years. They had held discussions with the likes of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, but he says that Alonso was the one that ‘got away’.

He revealed that the team were talking to him for the 2008 season. Alonso’s conflict with Hamilton in 2007 at McLaren led to his abrupt exit, and Red Bull looked to swoop in.

However, the two-time champion would only sign a one-year deal, and Horner and Red Bull were not keen on being the ‘stepping stone to Ferrari’. Alonso would sign for Renault in 2008 and then joined Ferrari in 2010.

Horner explained: “I mean, so many conversations with so many of them over the years, but the one probably that got away particularly earlier on was Fernando.

“After his period at McLaren, we had serious discussions with him and his management to the point that there was draft paperwork being exchanged, but he would only commit to a one-year deal.

“And I think the feeling, certainly within the group and with Dietrich was that we just don’t want to be a stepping stone to Ferrari. If he’s committing then commit for a period of time, not just a single year.

“In the end he did go to Renault for two years, and then Flavio tried to switch him whilst he was at Renault, which only Flavio could do.”

Kimi Antonelli and Max Verstappen have scored the most points since round 7/23 in Barcelona 🌟 How will the drivers’ standings finish?

At the time, Red Bull were not the successful powerhouse that they are today. The team finished fifth in the constructors’ championship with 24 points – it would have been sixth if McLaren were not disqualified over the ‘Spygate’ scandal.

In 2008, the team scored five more points across the season, but finished seventh behind their own junior team, Toro Rosso. But come 2009 and the regulation changes, Red Bull propelled to the front of the grid.

Sebastian Vettel would go on to win four consecutive titles between 2010 and 2013, before Verstappen won four championships between 2021 and 2024. It is no wonder why Alonso wanted to race for Red Bull, and it begs the question of what would have happened if he did.