Horner confirms talks with Alonso

Christian Horner has confirmed that earlier in the season he held talks with Fernando Alonso about a possible switch to Red Bull.

The story first emerged in May when Helmut Marko revealed that Red Bull was one of several teams the Spaniard had approached before committing his future to Aston Martin.

“There have been talks,” the Austrian said Formula 1.de. “But as I’ve mentioned before, a harmonious working environment is very important to Max, and I don’t think that would have been the case with Alonso.

“I think it would be very difficult for a team,” he admitted. “Alonso would be the oldest world champion in the team, Max the youngest, and they are generations apart. I don’t think Alonso does sim racing or gets into a simulator on a plane straight after a grand prix. They are two opposite personalities ., both very good drivers and also personalities, none of them are very modest and it would be very, very difficult for a team to take it in a positive direction.

Speaking in Mexico, Horner confirmed talks were taking place and added that it was not the first time the Spaniard had been linked with the Austrian outfit.

“At the time, Sergio’s contract had not been renewed,” explained Horner, “so as Fernando is an experienced operator, he will always know all his options.

“Between him and his manager or advisor, Flavio, they’re always testing the market. It just shows how hungry and competitive he is and he’s still delivering at the age of 43.

“He’s still in good form and it just goes to show that age is just a number, so yes, he’s still a very capable pre-driver, given the tools I’m sure he’ll be at the front.

“He is a formidable competitor,” he continued, “at the end of his McLaren stay I remember going to Madrid and pushing to get him into the car.

“We wanted to do a two-year deal and he was only prepared to sign for one year and we were convinced he had a Ferrari contract in his back pocket at the time,” added the Briton. “So we didn’t reach an agreement.

“Had he come to us in 2009, things might have been a bit different. Even halfway through the 2009 season, he was convinced that if he got into our car, he could still win the championship that year.

“It was at that time that we had a conversation, I remember meeting with him and with Adrian, in the back of a rental car at Spa Airport, and I think it was around 2011, ’11 or ’12, by coming across again with a Ferrari, maybe even as early as the beginning of this year.

“It’s unbelievable the longevity he’s had,” he said of the Spaniard, who starts his 400th grand prix this weekend, “the competitiveness he has, the talent he has, the ability he has, two world championships he should have won . more than that.”

Check out our Saturday gallery from Mexico City here.