Red Bull boss Christian Horner has revealed that he had a conversation with Fernando Alonso earlier in 2024 Formula 1 season regarding a possible move to the team.

Alonso will reach another milestone at this weekend’s Mexico City Grand Prix as the event at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez marks his 400th appearance of the weekend.

But the Spaniard will face an uphill battle to celebrate his latest achievement with a positive result amid the woes Aston Martin endured in Austin a week ago.

Alonso working with an uncompetitive car has been a consistent trend ever since he wrapped up his second consecutive drivers’ title with Renault in 2006.

The current Aston Martin racer has come to regret inappropriate career decisions, including choosing to turn down Red Bull before and during its dominant 2010s spell.

But while it is well documented that the two parties had talks during Alonso’s first spell in the series, Horner has admitted that there were talks during this term as well.

“He’s a formidable competitor and at the end of his McLaren stint I remember going to Madrid and pushing to get him into the car,” Horner said in Mexico.

“We wanted to do a two-year deal, and he was only prepared to sign for one year, and we were convinced he had a Ferrari contract in his back pocket at that point.

“So we didn’t come to a deal, and had he come to us in 2009, maybe things could have been a little bit different.

“Even halfway through the 2009 season, he was convinced that if he got in our car, he could still win the championship that year.

“So it was at that point, we then had a conversation, I remember meeting him, with Adrian (Newey), in the back of a hire car at Spa Airport, and I think it was around 2011, ’11 or ’12, about encountering a Ferrari again, perhaps even as early as this year.

“So it’s incredible the longevity he’s had, the competitiveness he’s got, the talent he’s got, the ability he’s got, two world championships, he should have won more than that.”

Horner extends the Alonso contact

Horner’s version of events correlates with Alonso’s revelation that he had spoken to rival teams before signing a contract extension with Aston Martin until 2026.

Red Bull’s long-time team principal has explained that discussions with Alonso materialized at a time when Sergio Perez was not tied down to a deal past this year.

“Well at the time, Sergio’s contract hadn’t been extended, so because Fernando is an experienced operator, he always wants to know all his options,” explained Horner.

“Between him and his manager or advisor, Flavio (Briatore), they are always testing the market.

“And it just shows how hungry and competitive he is, and he’s still delivering at 43.

“He’s still in great shape, and it just goes to show that age is just a number, so yes, he’s still a very capable seductress, given the tools I’m sure he’ll be at the front.”

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