168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Fernando Alonso was “testing the market” in preliminary talks with Red Bull this year, Christian Horner admitted.

Alonso and Red Bull’s flirtations over 𒁃the years have been well-documented but, until now, it wasn’t known that they made contact ♛in 2024.

Red Bul♕l had Max Ve🌱rstappen and Sergio Perez under contract at the beginning of this season when Alonso made enquiries.

“We🍌ll, at that time, Sergio's contract hadn't been extended,” Horner explained.

“So as Fernando is a seasoned operator, you know, he always wants to know all of his options🐲.

“Between him and his manager or advisor of many years, Flavio Briatore, they're always, you kno💧w, testing the market.

“ℱIt just s﷽hows how hungry and competitive he is. He's still delivering at 43 years of age.

“He's still in great shape and it just shows tha🀅t age💛 is just a number.

“He's still a very, very capable grand prix driver and given the tools, I'm 🍎sure ꦇhe'd be at the front.”

Alonso instead opted to pen a new deal with Aston Martin which ties him to the team until the end 𒅌of 2026.

It means the꧒ two-time Formula 1 champion may end his career without ever rep🏅resenting Red Bull, despite a series of near-misses.

Horner detailed the times he came close to signing Alonsoꦰ.

“He's a formidable competitor. At the end of his McLaren stint, tꦚhe first one𝕴 in 2008, I remember going to Madrid and pushing to get him in the car,” Horner said.

“We wanted to do a two-yearꦉ deal, and he was only prepared to sign for one year🤪.

“And we were convinced he had a ༒Ferrari contract in his back pocket at that p𝓡oint. So we didn't get to a deal.

“And had he come to us in 2009, maybe things c🌟ould have looked slightly differently.

“And even halfway through theꦜ 2009 season, he was convinced if he got in our car, he could still win the championship that year. So that was that point.

“We then had a conversation… I rememb💫er meeting with him with Adrian Newey in the back of a hire car at Spa Airport.

“I think that was around 2011, ‘11 or ’12, about coming a𒊎cross from Ferrari and then even as early as the beginning of this year.

“So it's incredi♋ble the longevity that he's had, ꧟the competitiveness that he has, and the statistics for the talent that he has and the ability he has.

“Two world championships don't do him justice. He should have won mor🅷e than that.”