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Christian Horner sought Alonso and Leclerc for Red Bull seat

Motorsport.com • 1 min read • Latest: Oct 14, 2026, 6:46 PM

Last updated Oct 14, 2026

Christian Horner sought Alonso and Leclerc for Red Bull seat

Summary

Christian Horner, in his upcoming book, reveals he wanted both Fernando Alonso and Charles Leclerc for Red Bull's 2025 seat. As he attempted to identify a suitable teammate for Max Verstappen, he faced significant challenges, largely attributed to his interactions with Helmut Marko. This candid insight into driver selection highlights the pressures faced by team executives in Formula 1. Horner's tenure with Red Bull ended in July 2025 after two decades in the position.

Source Links

Motorsport.com

Key Details

•Horner wanted Alonso and Leclerc equally for the 2025 seat.
•He describes challenges in finding a suitable partner for Verstappen.
•Horner's thoughts are detailed in his book, Drive.
•He led Red Bull for 20 years before leaving in July 2025.

Latest Updates

6:46 PMMotorsport.com — Christian Horner wanted Fernando Alonso and Charles Leclerc at Red Bull

What they're saying

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Red Bull's 2025 seat could have gone to Fernando Alonso or Charles Leclerc, and, according to Christian Horner, he wanted both equally. Horner's upcoming book Drive discusses how the former team chief found himself up against a wall when he tried to find a new driver to sit alongside Max Verstappen. Horner, who ran Red Bull for two decades before his exit in July 2025, says that wall was Helmut ...Keep reading
— Motorsport.com

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