Former Red Bull boss Christian Horner has revealed in his upcoming book Drive how serious attempts to sign Fernando Alonso and Charles Leclerc were ultimately shut down behind closed doors. The memoir lifts the lid on the intense pressure inside the Milton Keynes outfit as management scrambled to find a suitable teammate for Max Verstappen amid Sergio Perez's alarming slump in form throughout the 2024 Formula 1 season.
While Perez initially helped the team secure a historic one-two finish in the drivers' championship, his performances quickly deteriorated compared to previous years. This sharp decline forced Horner to evaluate potential replacements in order to maintain their competitive edge at the front of the grid, triggering a series of high-profile transfer explorations.
The first major opening came directly from the Spanish veteran himself during the Japanese Grand Prix weekend, where he expressed a clear desire to race alongside Verstappen the following year. However, according to Horner's memoir, Helmut Marko quickly intervened on behalf of the management team to signal their disapproval of the pairing.
Undeterred, Horner shifted his focus toward Leclerc, whom he considered an ideal candidate due to his blistering one-lap pace and unwavering dedication to his team despite Ferrari's ongoing struggles. Yet, the response from within the internal hierarchy remained identical, as Marko instructed the team principal to completely forget about pursuing the Monegasque driver.
Significantly, Horner was quick to clear Verstappen of any involvement in blocking the moves, noting that the directive came from elsewhere within the organization. With marquee names ruled out, the team ultimately promoted Liam Lawson to the seat, a decision that Horner admitted placed an immense amount of pressure on the young driver with only eleven grand prix starts under his belt.
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