Christian Horner has revealed he was blocked from pursuing Charles Leclerc and Fernando Alonso at Red Bull, despite the latter expressing an interest in partnering Max Verstappen.
Horner, who was dismissed as Red Bull team principal and CEO in July 2025, claims in his new book, Drive, that he considered both drivers as replacements for Sergio Pérez, whose dramatic loss of form during the 2024 season left him facing what he described as a “cockpit dilemma.”
However, Horner says Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko informed him that neither move would happen.
“Of the available drivers, I knew that Carlos Sainz was a possibility -- Fernando Alonso too,” Horner wrote. “At the Japanese Grand Prix, Fernando even told me that he would very much like to drive alongside Max the following season.
“Then Helmut -- apparently on behalf of the Verstappen management team -- made it clear they were unhappy with that idea.”
Horner also considered Leclerc, having previously spoken with the Ferrari driver’s manager, and believed he could form a formidable partnership with Verstappen.
“Charles Leclerc was another driver I’d admired for a while,” Horner added. “He was fast, committed over a single lap, and had a determined personality. Yes, he was liable to make the odd mistake here and there, which Red Bull had benefited from, but he never once threw Ferrari under the bus, whatever the situation.
“Charles was a team player, and I sensed he would fill the gap, were Sergio to fall away. He also seemed frustrated at Ferrari. I had spoken with his manager in Qatar the previous year, who wanted Charles to be in a winning position -- and Red Bull were winning everything at that time.”
Horner was enthusiastic about the prospect and Verstappen appeared open to the idea -- but Horner claims Marko subsequently told him to abandon that prospect, too.
“My view was that he could be the perfect driver for us, and when I suggested the idea to Max, he seemed unfussed,” Horner wrote.
“‘Charles is a nice guy,’ he said. But shortly afterwards, word reached me from Helmut that I should forget about Charles as well. Like Fernando, it wasn’t going to happen, and I knew immediately that the order hadn’t come from Max.
“He possessed the confidence to go up against any other driver, but somebody, somewhere, had decided that it wasn’t the right move for Red Bull. I was disappointed.
“Every team wants to field the world’s two best drivers because it pushes their team to greater heights and delivers a greater chance of winning the Constructors’ Championship. I knew that Max and Charles would have got us there, especially at a time when McLaren were on the rise.”
Red Bull ultimately replaced Pérez with Liam Lawson for the start of the 2025 season, but the New Zealander was demoted to Racing Bulls after just two races.
Yuki Tsunoda took his place for the remainder of the campaign before Isack Hadjar was promoted to partner Verstappen in 2026.