Christian Horner says Red Bull rejected Fernando Alonso’s demand to escape Lewis Hamilton at McLaren

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner revealed that the team rejected signing Fernando Alonso for the 2008 season due to his contract demands. Following Alonso's turbulent 2007 campaign alongside Lewis Hamilton at McLaren, Red Bull held serious contract discussions with the Spanish driver. However, Alonso only wanted a one-year deal, which Horner and Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz refused because they did not want the team to serve as a stepping stone to Ferrari.

After talks collapsed, Alonso returned to Renault for two seasons before eventually joining Ferrari in 2010. Horner noted that Alonso was the driver who 'got away' during Red Bull's earlier era, despite later holding further discussions about a potential seat for the 2025 season before Alonso committed to Aston Martin.