Fernando Alonso has had years of experience of being a partner to younger drivers in F1. Dating back to 2007, the then McLaren driver partnered up with Lewis Hamilton who had one of the best debut seasons by a rookie. 16 years later, Adrian Newey pitches the wildest idea by suggesting an Alonso-Max Verstappen partnership in Red Bull via the F1: Beyond The Grid Podcast.
Despite being teammates in 2007, the two drivers rarely got along with one another. The duo continued to take shots at each other even after going their separate ways, with Alonso claiming Hamilton had been very lucky throughout his career. However, the Spaniard later apologized, and the two are now on level terms. In a move that many could see as reigniting the fire, Newey suggests Verstappen and Alonso could work well together at Red Bull.
Red Bull CTO wants Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso in the same car
An optimum driver lineup is often the hardest thing for an F1 team to achieve. Speaking to Adrian Newey about having two quick drivers in the team, F1: Beyond The Grid Podcast host Tom Clarkson asked him if he would prefer having an older guy and a younger guy pair up. To this, Newey replied he would want to see Alonso and Verstappen work together, especially since the change in attitude of Alonso.
“If, say, Max versus Fernando was ‘Lewis versus Fernando’ again, would Fernando, with all that experience he now has, be different to Fernando versus Lewis of whichever year it was.”
“I think Fernando would be different now. He’s mellowed.”
Given the change in approach by Alonso, Newey believes it would be much more easy to handle him than before. Earlier, Alonso was famous for having a bad boy image in F1; someone who would pick fights with everyone and had little patience. Since his comeback to the sport, the Spaniard has looked completely different, and Newey believes it could make for the perfect recipe if he could bring Verstappen and Alonso in the same team.
Alonso wants to race alongside Verstappen as teammates
Earlier this year, Mirror UK reported Alonso’s desire to partner up with Max Verstappen in a move that would send shockwaves throughout the F1 realm. Following the Miami GP, Alonso admitted he was hopeful of partnering up with Verstappen away from the world of F1. The foremost possibility lies in Le Mans, where Alonso is already a race-winner, and Verstappen hopes to be able to drive soon. “I would love to do Le Mans- If I do Le Mans once again- with Max,” revealed the Spaniard.
While it might be a pipe dream, Alonso has more important things to focus on. The foremost on that list is to get back to winning ways with Aston Martin after seeing a major dip in performances. Aiming for the elusive number 33, Alonso would look to accomplish the goal in the 2024 season before stepping away to compete in other forms of motorsports.
