In his autobiography Drive, Christian Horner recounts the drivers he wanted to bring to Red Bull during his final seasons in charge. According to his account, Fernando Alonso was interested in racing alongside Max Verstappen in 2025, while Charles Leclerc was also among his preferred options when Sergio Perez’s future came under question.

Horner says internal resistance stopped those plans. He describes Helmut Marko conveying opposition that, in his view, came from Verstappen’s camp. This is the former team principal’s account in a book due on October 22; Alonso, Leclerc and Marko have not publicly confirmed this specific version. The revelations show how Horner remembers the decisions, but they are not independent evidence of the other people’s motives.

Horner also mentions Carlos Sainz, with whom he discussed a possible return to Red Bull for 2026. The Spaniard visited his home shortly before Horner was removed in 2025, but no deal followed. These episodes sketch an alternate path for Red Bull’s line-up and underline how important the seat next to Verstappen had become. Whether those choices would have changed the team’s results is speculation; what is clear is that Horner presents them as part of a wider dispute over influence inside the team.

Sources: Motorsport.com · Autosprint · The Race