Inside Red Bull’s Missed Opportunities: The Untold Stories of Alonso and Norris Negotiations

Exposed: The Reason Behind Red Bull's Inability to Secure Fernando Alonso and Lando Norris

An alleged contractual agreement thwarted a major transfer opportunity

Helmut Marko has revealed the reasons behind Red Bull's unsuccessful attempts to recruit Fernando Alonso and Lando Norris.

He maintains that discussions with both drivers were in an advanced phase years ago, yet the negotiations collapsed due to various reasons.

Red Bull's attention towards Alonso was sparked soon after he secured consecutive Formula 1 titles with Renault.

"Marko revealed on the Inside Line F1 podcast that around 2008, before their series of victories began, they had discussions with Alonso."

"I suppose he didn't regard us with much seriousness. As a result, it never came to fruition."

After leaving McLaren, Alonso was in search of a new team and ultimately decided to go back to Renault in 2008.

During that particular year, David Coulthard and Mark Webber were the racers for Red Bull.

The chase for Norris came to a halt due to a contract clause, according to Marko, who says they nearly reached an agreement.

Marko didn't mention a specific year, but Norris made his first appearance in Formula 1 in 2019. At that time, Red Bull's lineup included Max Verstappen and Pierre Gasly, while Toro Rosso was represented by Alex Albon and Daniil Kvyat.

Marko mentioned regarding Norris: "Intense conversations took place, and we had prepared a contract for Lando Norris.

"For the team now known as AlphaTauri, previously called Toro Rosso."

"Regrettably, McLaren discovered the situation. They were bound by two agreements, one of which contained a clause that halted their collaboration with Lando Norris."

Norris has consistently progressed, reaching a point where he now poses a serious challenge to Verstappen's lead in the drivers' championship.

The competition for this year's championship has intensified between the two good friends, with Verstappen's previously strong hold now reduced to a mere 62 points.

Norris is contributing to McLaren's pursuit of the constructors' championship, where they currently trail Red Bull by eight points.

The appearance of the F1 lineup could have been significantly altered had Red Bull succeeded in acquiring these high-profile drivers.

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