Red Bull came close to creating a modern-day “Senna & Prost” with Fernando Alonso alongside Sebastian Vettel, Adrian Newey claims.
It is well-known that the Spaniard had several interactions with the Anglo-Austrian team, the first time coming back in 2007 as Alonso tried to find a route out of McLaren.
However, while not revealing exactly when, Red Bull’s renowned designer confirmed the double world champion almost teamed up with Vettel.
“It would have been like Ayrton [Senna] and Alain [Prost],” he reportedly told Esquire. “It is one of those things that unfortunately never happened, but it was very close to happening.
“I think we would have had a lot of success together, but it didn’t work out. Red Bull has generally always tried to follow the policy of developing its own drivers and that was a small consideration.
“We met a couple of times and there were negotiations in Austria. It was close, but in the end, it didn’t happen.”
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Alonso’s decision to snub Red Bull and return to Renault for 2008 was seen as the decision which stopped him from reaching the level of success that Lewis Hamilton has had at Mercedes and potentially challenging Michael Schumacher’s record too.
But despite being seen as an underachiever, Newey praised the now-37-year-old’s attitude.
“He seems to have had bad luck with some choices he has made, but whenever we have spoken with him, he has been very kind,” he added.
“Fernando’s ability often exceeds the car in his hands. I think that’s the mark of a truly great driver — the ability to stand out despite not having a great car.”
