A Fernando Alonso-Max Verstappen Red Bull driver lineup for 2025 was a possibility, claims Christian Horner

Red Bull boss Christian Horner has revealed that a Max Verstappen-Fernando Alonso driver lineup was on the cards for the team in 2025. Early in the year, the team had not extended Sergio Perez's contract, and it was still up for renewal. At the same time, the Spaniard's contract with Aston Martin was coming to an end.

It wasn't long, however, that Fernando Alonso ended up extending his contract with Aston Martin in what was a multiyear deal. Red Bull, on the other hand, also signed a multi-year extension for Perez as well. After signing the contract, however, Alonso had admitted that he'd had a chat with multiple teams about a possible move.

Ultimately, he did end up signing with Aston Martin. Talking to the media, including Sportskeeda, Red Bull's Christian Horner shared that the Spaniard had a conversation with the Austrian team and the lineup was on the table for 2025 as the extension with Perez had not been signed by then.

Talking about having a conversation with Alonso, Horner said,

"At that time, Sergio's contract hadn't been extended, so as Fernando is a seasoned operator, he always wants to know all of his options. Between him and his manager or advisor of many years, Flavio, they're always testing the market, and it just shows how hungry and competitive he is."

Horner added:

"He's still delivering at 42 years of age, or 43. He's still in great shape and it just shows that age is just a number. He's still a very, very capable grand prix driver, and given the tools, I'm sure he'd be at the front."

Fernando Alonso's history of possible Red Bull alliance

Horner also shared that Fernando Alonso could have been a Red Bull driver in 2009 when the two parties were first in contact. The team principal shared how the Spaniard has had multiple interactions with the team about a potential move but ultimately it has never worked out. He said,

"At the end of his McLaren stint in 2008, I remember going to Madrid and pushing to get him in the car. We wanted to do a two-year deal, and he was only prepared to sign for one year. We were convinced he had a Ferrari contract in his back pocket at that point, so we didn't get to a deal."

Horner added:

"Had he come to us in 2009, maybe things could have looked slightly differently. Even halfway through the 2009 season, he was convinced if he got in our car, he could still win the championship that year."

Fernando Alonso will more or less end his career at Aston Martin. The driver has a contract until the end of 2026. With Adrian Newey also joining the team soon, the brand has become a far more attractive option now compared to what it was a few years back.

This might be the team ultimately with which Alonso ends his championship drought that began in 2006.