Helmut Marko Wanted Fernando Alonso To Be In A Red Bull Suit

Helmut Marko once wanted Fernando Alonso to be racing for the Red Bull team but unfortunately, it didn’t happen. Dr. Marko expressed in a podcast that he wanted Alonso to be in the team and he later wanted Lando Norris as well. However, neither of these deals came to fruition but we would have loved to see them happen.

The Alonso deal

During an interview with Inside Line F1 Podcast, Helmut Marko, Red Bull's advisor, shared some intriguing details about the team's past efforts to secure two of the brightest talents, Fernando Alonso and Lando Norris. He revealed that discussions with Alonso did take place during 2008. 

Red Bull was still a rising force in Formula 1 at the time, but Alonso had already solidified his status and that’s why he didn’t take the offer seriously. At the same time, Dietrich Mateschitz wasn’t very keen on a driver who had already established himself.  Marko believes it was a missed opportunity that could have changed the trajectory of both Red Bull and Alonso’s careers. 

“We were negotiating with Fernando Alonso at the time, but he [Dietrich Mateschitz] said we don't buy stars, we make them ourselves.”

The Norris pursuit

Red Bull’s pursuit of Lando Norris came during a period of transition for the team. However, as Marko revealed, Norris’s contractual obligations made it impossible for Red Bull to secure his services. From Marko’s expression, it’s clear that he wasn’t willing to let the young British driver slip away. 

“We had a contract ready for Lando Norris…unfortunately they found out that they had two contracts and then one was a clause which stopped this cooperation.”

A legacy of talent and what might have been

The failed signings of Alonso and Norris are intriguing “what if” scenarios in Formula 1. Alonso may have won more titles if he had signed up with Red Bull in 2008. In a similar vein, Norris might have forged a strong alliance that would have influenced Red Bull's continued domination of the sport. 
Red Bull has maintained its position as a dominant power in Formula 1 despite the near misses, partly because of their dedication to developing young talent. Even though Alonso and Norris have found success elsewhere, Red Bull's long history of success is evidence of their capacity to change and develop even in the face of unfavorable circumstances.