Sky Formula 1 journalist Craig Slater has sought to dispel the speculations surrounding the prospect of Fernando Alonso stepping in for Sergio Perez at Red Bull in 2024.
The Spanish driver has been increasingly linked to a surprising move to partner with Max Verstappen at the reigning constructors’ championship-winning squad, primarily due to uncertainties regarding Perez’s future.
Perez’s unfortunate exit from his home Mexican Grand Prix on Sunday has left him with just a 20-point lead over Lewis Hamilton in the driver standings, with only three races remaining in the season.
With Perez’s contract set to conclude at the end of the 2024 season and his immediate future uncertain, conjecture regarding a potential switch for Alonso, who is currently competing for Aston Martin, has emerged.
Furthermore, discussions have reportedly arisen concerning the potential return of Daniel Ricciardo, currently racing for AlphaTauri and securing a P7 finish in Mexico.
Alonso to Red Bull a ‘non-starter’
“Alonso’s Move to Red Bull Highly Unlikely,” Says Slater
Craig Slater has categorically dismissed the notion of Fernando Alonso joining Red Bull, emphasizing that it’s an implausible scenario.
“Let’s address the elephant in the room, which is the prospect of Fernando Alonso teaming up with Max Verstappen at Red Bull next year,” Slater revealed on the Sky Sports F1 Podcast.
“From what I’ve gathered, that’s a non-starter; it won’t come to fruition. While Red Bull certainly respects Alonso and his capabilities, my understanding is that he isn’t the preferred choice over Ricciardo for their 2024 driver lineup.”
“This is not coming officially from the team or anything like that, it’s been out there on the internet but that is not going to happen as I understand it.
“From what I can gather, some senior, well-placed people have told me that maybe Alonso’s management has been doing their due diligence again and assessing whether there are any other potentially better options for him next year and perhaps that has been inflated into he’s going to take Perez’s seat rather than Ricciardo.
“But I have it on pretty good authority that that’s not going to happen.”
