Horner wanted Alonso or Leclerc; Marko relayed both refusals
Photo: United Autosports / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Red Bull could have paired Max Verstappen with Fernando Alonso or Charles Leclerc for the 2025 season. That is the claim made by Christian Horner, who ran the team for two decades until July 2025. In his book "Drive," he writes that he considered both drivers equally good options.
Horner first tried to sign Alonso, then Leclerc. By his account, both refusals were passed on to him by Helmut Marko, Red Bull's former advisor. Horner does not say who ultimately made the decision, and the book presents only one side of the story.
Perez's slump started the search
Horner went looking for a new teammate for Verstappen because Sergio Perez's form had dropped. Perez had helped the team finish first and second in the drivers' championship for the first time, but his results clearly deteriorated in 2024.
"Sergio Perez's form was unrecognisable compared to the driver he had been in previous seasons. I decided to look for a possible replacement," Horner wrote.
Alonso's interest at the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix
The first candidate was the two-time world champion. Alonso was driving for Aston Martin at the time and still races for the team. According to the book, Alonso himself confirmed his interest to Horner at the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix.
"During the Japanese Grand Prix, Fernando even told me that he really wanted to drive alongside Max the following season. Subsequently, Helmut [Marko], apparently on behalf of Verstappen's management team, made it clear that they were not happy with that idea," Horner writes.
Leclerc as the "perfect driver," and a second no
After the Alonso approach failed, Horner turned to Leclerc. "I thought he could be the perfect driver for us," the former Red Bull boss writes.
"He was fast, strong over one lap, and had a determined character. Sure, he made a mistake now and then, which Red Bull had capitalised on, but whatever the situation, he never criticised Ferrari," Horner writes. He adds that Leclerc was a team player who could have filled the gap if Perez's form had dropped further, and that Leclerc seemed frustrated at Ferrari.
The answer was the same as with Alonso. "Shortly afterwards, Helmut told me that I should just forget about Charles as well. Just like with Fernando, it wasn't going to happen," the book reads.
"I knew immediately that that order did not come from Max. But someone had decided somewhere that it wasn't the right move for Red Bull. I was disappointed," Horner writes. He does not identify who made that decision.
Lawson, Tsunoda and Hadjar in the second car
With both candidates ruled out, Perez's seat went to Liam Lawson. Horner admits he had doubts. "I didn't feel comfortable with it. He was young and inexperienced, with only eleven Formula 1 races under his belt, and we were asking an enormous amount of him," he wrote.
Lawson lost the seat after two races of the 2025 season and returned to the sister team. Horner does not regret the decision to send him back. "But actually, he should never have been promoted in the first place," he writes.
Yuki Tsunoda took over the second Red Bull after Lawson. For 2026, the promotion went to Isack Hadjar, who had previously made a successful F1 debut.
Sainz at Horner's home, and the book's release
Carlos Sainz also appears in the book. He visited Horner at his home shortly before Horner was dismissed. "He came to discuss a possible move to Red Bull in 2026," Horner recalls. "He was an experienced Grand Prix driver, a team player, and I knew he would work his socks off for the team."
Horner lost his roles as Red Bull team principal and CEO in July 2025, after the British Grand Prix. He was replaced by Laurent Mekies.
"Drive" goes on sale in the UK on October 22, 2026. It will be published in the US and other regions in early 2027.