Red Bull’s Horner denies making offer to Fernando Alonso

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, BELGIUM » Red Bull team principal Christian Horner denies his team tried to sign Fernando Alonso as a replacement for Daniel Ricciardo.

Ricciardo stunned F1 this month when, instead of signing an expected new deal with Red Bull, he announced he was joining Renault from 2019.

F1 was further shaken in mid-August with the news Alonso is retiring from F1 at the end of the season to pursue other racing interests.

In comments made to British Broadcaster Sky, Alonso said he was approached by Red Bull sometime in August and also earlier in the season.

Horner responded at a news conference at the Belgian Grand Prix on Friday.

“Just to be totally clear, there was no offer to Fer- nando Alonso for next year,” Horner said. “Fernando is a fantastic driver ( but) he’s obviously chosen his path.”

Horner said he was asked, however, by F1 owners Liberty Media to see if Red Bull might consider taking the 37- year- old Alonso, a two-time world champion and a popular driver with fans.

“There was just an inquiry as to whether we would consider Fernando, which you can understand from a promoter’s point of view,” Horner said. “If he could be in a competitive car I’m sure they would prefer him staying. I wouldn’t expect them to do anything different.”

Alonso said this month that Liberty had tried to make him change his mind about leaving F1 amid speculation McLaren will enter IndyCar with Alonso as one of its drivers. The Spanish driver raced in the India- napolis 500 last year and was in position to win until his engine failed.

He also ran the Rolex 24 at Daytona as a warmup for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where Alonso was part of the winning team.

Red Bull did try to sign Alonso in 2007.

But Horner suggested it would now be difficult to work with Alonso, who won his two F1 titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006 and was runner-up three times with Ferrari before joining McLaren in 2015.

“He’s tended to cause a bit of chaos wherever he’s gone.” Horner said in separate comments made to F1’s official podcast. “I’m not sure it would be the healthiest thing for the team for Fernando to join.”

That followed comments this week from Red Bull’s motorsport adviser Helmut Marko, who said Alonso made “very tedious” demands when they negoti- ated with him 11 years ago.

“If you look at his history, in McLaren and Ferrari, it was always a oneman show,” Marko told Austrian broadcaster Servus TV. “That doesn’t fit with us.”

Although Alonso is pursuing wider racing interests, it is not necessarily the end of his F1 career.

“Life has also taught me in the past how things may change,” he said. “I don’t have the crystal ball to know what is going to happen in the future. For me it’s bye-bye, but who knows in the future?”

Meanwhile, Horner says he does not hold a grudge against Ricciardo for leaving, even though the Australian was expected to stay.

“He’s been a pleasure to have in the team,” Horner said. “He’s a big character. We’ve given him a platform to express that and we wish him well.”