Fernando Alonso reveals how he narrowly missed the opportunity to switch to Red Bull in 2008. The Spaniard has raced for a considerable number of teams in his Formula 1 career so far, but the Austrian racing stable was not among them. Alonso shares that there were several ‘secret’ meetings to discuss a potential move.
Fernando Alonso made his Formula 1 debut in 2001 as part of the Minardi team. In his further career in motorsport, the Spaniard also served as a driver for the Renault, McLaren, Ferrari, Alpine teams, and currently races for Aston Martin. However, Alonso could have easily added Red Bull to his list.
The two-time world champion reveals how two ‘secret’ meetings took place with team boss Christian Horner and top designer Adrian Newey. “I met Adrian and Christian at Heathrow Airport for a meeting,” Alonso shares. “We sat in the back seat, both at night, discussing the possibility. I was very close to Ferrari at the time.”
‘Not Guaranteed’
Alonso reveals that the two eventually chose Sebastian Vettel. The German driver would ultimately win four world titles with Red Bull. Yet, Alonso has no regrets. “It’s easy to say now, but in 2008, I think Red Bull had one podium finish with David (Coulthard) in Monaco, and Red Bull was an energy drink company. Great team, great members on the team, but I think to predict that they would win seven or eight championships in the next ten years was not entirely guaranteed.
