Christian Horner made it absolutely clear that Red Bull have no intention of replacing Sergio Perez with Fernando Alonso in the team.
During FP3 of the Miami GP, Sky Sports F1’s commentary team suggested rumors linking Alonso with a move to Red Bull. They reported that the Spaniard recently had conversations with the Austrian team.
However, when team principal Christian Horner came on the radio, he completely denied these rumors. Horner said that Alonso and Red Bull hadn’t engaged in any talks. He added that that they were happy with Perez in the team.
These rumors came out of the blue, amid reports that there will be some major shake ups in the F1 paddock before next season. Perez and Alonso both have their contracts running out at the end of this year, and there futures haven’t been announced yet.
Horner however, guaranteed that they never considered signing the Alpine driver. “We’re happy with the drivers we’ve got,” Horner said. On the other hand, whether Perez will continue with them or not, remains uncertain.
Who will partner Max Verstappen at Red Bull in 2023?
Red Bull always have a vast pool of drivers to choose from. They have one of the most extensive young drivers’ programme, that consists of stellar talent from around the globe.
However, as of now, the frontrunners for the seat are Perez and AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly. The latter drove for them for half a season in 2019, before he was dropped due to poor performances. Since then, he’s taken AlphaTauri to new heights, and is now adamant that he deserves the Red Bull seat.
Perez on the other hand has settled well alongside Verstappen. He played a crucial role in Verstappen’s title victory last season, and is just five points behind the Dutchman this season. Red Bull might want to hold on to consistency and offer the Mexican an extension very soon.
Their advisor Dr. Helmut Marko did assure fans that this decision will be made before the summer break. An official announcement however, is expected later.
