Former F1 driver Christijan Albers asserted Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen "absolutely cannot" be teammates amid rumors about Red Bull's intentions to sign the double world champion.
Two separate sources suggested over the previous two weeks that Red Bull is interested in signing Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso for 2025.
First, Ralf Schumacher said he heard Christian Horner is a great fan of Alonso and that there are "big intentions" in the background to bring him into the team.
The second, F1-Insider.com, wrote Alonso is the "preferred candidate" for the principal of the team from Milton Keynes and that Max Verstappen was apparently already informed he should expect the 42-year-old.
However, former F1 driver Christijan Albers refuses to believe Red Bull would put Alonso and Verstappen side by side. Speaking on De Telegraaf’s F1 Podcast, he said:
"This is just an 'emergency plan' from (Christian) Horner in case Verstappen leaves. You absolutely cannot put the two side by side. That won't go well at all."
This decision would also seem inconsistent with what Horner himself previously said. Last year, he stated he wouldn't want two "alphas" on his team when asked if he would consider Lewis Hamilton or Alonso alongside the Dutchman. Albers continued:
"Then everyone can say Alonso has calmed down, but that really won't work out. Alonso is really not going to let himself be beaten in his last year of driving F1. He is never, never, never going to do that alongside Max Verstappen."
The former F1 driver suggested that Spanish Matador could be an option for the Austrian team, but only in case the triple World Champion left the team.
"Alonso can only be an option if Verstappen leaves. I never see Alonso next to Verstappen. Alonso is not going to get crushed in the last year of his career."
Verstappen leaving Red Bull isn't so impossible at the end of the day. Mercedes team principal revealed the 26-year-old is on top of his list at the moment and expects him to decide within the upcoming weeks.
If Verstappen left Red Bull, the door might very much be open for the 42-year-old, who is hard to imagine would reject the opportunity to drive the fastest car on the grid at the moment.
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