Ralf Schumacher sees Fernando Alonso as a good candidate to become Max Verstappen’s teammate at Red Bull Racing. According to the German former F1 driver, Red Bull is looking around for alternatives if Verstappen leaves, and Alonso is one of the favorite candidates. Schumacher himself hopes that Alonso will become the Dutchman’s teammate sooner.
“We know that the team is quite divided and that Max is thinking of an alternative,” says former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher to the German branch of Sky Sports about the internal troubles at the Austrian racing team. ‘But it’s not just Max: the team is also thinking of an alternative. Now there are completely new rumors. Horner has always been a fan of one driver since 2013: Fernando Alonso. There seem to be big plans in the background to give Alonso a seat next year in case Verstappen leaves the team.’
There are rumors that initial talks have even taken place between Horner and Alonso’s manager Flavio Briatore. Schumacher claims he has ‘pretty good information’ that there is indeed some truth to these rumors of Alonso’s potential move to Red Bull, despite them being just rumors for now. ‘Alonso reacted very cautiously when we asked him about it in the paddock. He said he was thinking about it. But he is at the end of his career. Fernando naturally wants a car in which he can win. And you saw what he did this weekend, how fast he was, how he prevented George Russell from overtaking him. He knows what he wants and I think he would be a good fit.”
Schumacher hopes for Alonso as Verstappen’s teammate
Alonso’s possible move to Red Bull would mean that either Sergio Pérez or Verstappen will say goodbye to the Austrian racing team. Schumacher does not yet know whether Alonso will become Verstappen’s teammate or replacement, although he hopes for the former. The former driver sees Alonso as a good alternative to Pérez, as he believes it is important for teams to have experienced people if they want to win immediately. ‘That is very important, especially at Red Bull.’
Although Schumacher does not dare to say with certainty that a switch will happen, he is certain that if it does happen, it will not take place until next year. ‘We’re talking about next year. Silly season started very early (in 2024, ed.) by Lewis Hamilton and the teams are keeping a close eye on it all.’ However, Schumacher thinks that drivers will not terminate their contracts this year.
