Red Bull F1 News: Team boss reveals personality CLASH torpedoed signing of champion

Sergio Perez, Checo Perez, Max Verstappen, Red Bull, China, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

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Red Bull boss reveals personality CLASH torpedoed signing of F1 champion

Helmut Marko has also revealed the personality clash that stopped the move

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Thursday 23 May 2024 20:57

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Red Bull boss Helmut Marko has revealed the brutal reason for rejecting an F1 champion as Max Verstappen’s team-mate.

Speculation around who will partner Max Verstappen for 2025 has run wild since Carlos Sainz became available on the driver market, following the announcement Lewis Hamilton would replace him at Ferrari.

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Current Red Bull driver Sergio Perez will be out of contract going into 2025, and a renewal seemed unlikely after a string of poor performances last season.

Whilst Perez's form has improved this season, he has failed to make the podium since the Chinese Grand Prix, and finished eighth behind both Mercedes in Imola.

Sergio Perez started the season strong sealing one one-two finishes for Red Bull

In recent races Sergio Perez has fallen drastically behind team-mate Max Verstappen

Who would replace Perez at Red Bull?

If Perez continues to underperform he could be replaced in 2025, with the recently demoted Sainz eyeing up a seat at Red Bull.

The team have already eliminated one potential driver from their deliberations, after Fernando Alonso signed a multi-year deal with Aston Martin.

When asked if they considered signing the two-time world champion, Red Bull boss Helmut Marko revealed they had, but admitted it would have been ‘difficult’ for him to race alongside Max Verstappen.

“Well, there have been conversations,” Marko said via Formel1.de’s YouTube channel.

Helmut Marko admits it would have been 'difficult' with Alonso at Red Bull

“But as I mentioned before, a harmonious work environment is very important to Max and I think that probably would not have been the case with Alonso.

“I think it would be very difficult for a team. Alonso would be the oldest world champion on the team, Max the youngest, and they are generations apart.

“I don’t think Alonso does sim racing or gets into a simulator on a plane right after a grand prix. So they are two opposite personalities, both very good drivers and also personalities.

"But when it comes to seeing who is faster neither of them are very modest. And it would be very, very difficult for a team to take that in a positive direction.”