With 32 wins and two World Championships, Fernando Alonso has had a career most F1 drivers could only dream of. Yet, considering his talent, he arguably could have achieved even more had he made better career decisions. One such poor decision, in hindsight, was his rejection of Red Bull back in 2008.
Alonso revealed that he had a secret meeting with Team Principal Christian Horner and Adrian Newey at Heathrow Airport in London. However, he decided against joining them because, in his mind, Red Bull was just an “energy drink company” that had only managed one podium finish in its history.
“It’s easy to say now, but in 2008 I think Red Bull had one podium with David (Coulthard) in Monaco, and Red Bull was an energy drink company,” Alonso said to Formule1.nl.
“Great team, great members on the team, but I think to predict that they would win seven or eight championships in the next ten years was not completely guaranteed“.
Alonso cannot be blamed for thinking that way, as even Lewis Hamilton made a similar remark back in 2011. He dismissed the idea of Red Bull sustaining its level of success, merely because they were a ‘drinks company’ and lacked the legacy McLaren or Ferrari had.
Fernando Alonso reveals how two ‘secret’ meetings took place with Christian Horner and Adrian Newey: “I met Adrian and Christian at Heathrow Airport for a meeting.”
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Alonso and Hamilton would both turn out to be very wrong. Red Bull won four Drivers’ and Constructors’ titles between 2010 and 2013 and claimed more titles between 2021 and 2024.
While Hamilton is unlikely to have any regrets about his career choices—having won six of his seven titles with Mercedes between 2014 and 2021—the same cannot be said for Alonso, who last won a championship in 2006 and has not won a race since his victory at the 2013 Spanish GP.
Alonso rejected Red Bull several more times
Understanding the qualities that Alonso possessed, Red Bull wanted to sign him on various other occasions. Per a 2018 Sky F1 report, Alonso rejected Red Bull in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, and 2018 (beginning and towards the end of the campaign).
According to other reports, the two-time champion also rejected Red Bull earlier this year by signing a contract extension with Aston Martin. However, unlike previous instances, Alonso’s latest decision could prove to be a masterstroke, as Adrian Newey is set to join Aston Martin in March 2025.
The one concern, though, is whether Aston Martin’s turnaround will come too late. While Newey will be involved in designing the 2026 car—the year when F1 introduces a new set of regulations—Alonso will turn 45 that year.
Moreover, there are no guarantees that Aston Martin will produce a car capable of fighting for the championship, even then.
