Christian Horner reveals failed Red Bull attempts to sign Alonso and Leclerc

In his upcoming memoir, “Drive”, former Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner reveals that he attempted to recruit Fernando Alonso and Charles Leclerc to join Max Verstappen for the 2025 season. Horner noted that the search for a replacement for Sergio Perez was prompted by the Mexican driver’s significant decline in performance.

According to Horner, Alonso expressed interest in driving alongside Verstappen during the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix. However, Helmut Marko reportedly blocked the move, allegedly acting on behalf of Verstappen’s management team. Horner also pursued Charles Leclerc, citing the Monegasque’s speed and team-player attitude, but claims Marko similarly shut down that possibility.

Separately, Horner addressed his long-standing rivalry with Mercedes boss Toto Wolff, describing it as having transitioned from an authentic competition into a form of “theatre” influenced by media coverage and series like “Drive to Survive”.

On the technical side, Red Bull’s recent performance surge, including victories in Sepang and Singapore, has been attributed to significant technical evolutions and improvements in the Red Bull Ford Powertrains unit. Technical director Pierre Waché highlighted Max Verstappen’s unique ability to provide precise engineering feedback as a key factor in the team's recent success.