Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso has reflected on the missed opportunity he had in joining Red Bull Racing back in 2009, Afrosport reports.
The Spaniard has been criticised for making the wrong choices during his career, joining marquee teams that were not at their best while other teams have gone on to dominate the championships, denying him the chance to add to the two world titles he won with Renault in 2005 and 2006.
Alonso had an opportunity to join Red Bull in 2009 but let it pass him by opting to join Ferrari in 2010 which coincided with Sebastian Vettel winning four straight titles for Red Bull between 2010 and 2013.
Alonso stated that it was not an easy decision to make back then seeing that Red Bull were not close to being dominant before 2010.
“Again, it’s easy to say now,” he said on the Beyond the Grid podcast. “Back in 2008, Red Bull had, I think, one podium of David [Coulthard] in Monaco.
“Red Bull was an energy drinks company. Great team, great members in the team. But I think to predict that they will win seven or eight championships in the next decade, it was not totally guaranteed.
Alonso cited Lewis Hamilton’s unexpected move to Mercedes from McLaren in 2013 and the criticism he received at the time but shockingly led to six world championships, including four consecutive titles from 2017 to 2020.
“And it’s when Lewis changed from McLaren to Mercedes, that first year in 2013 was a lot of critics,” he added.
“Because why [would] you change McLaren for a Mercedes that was only achieving one or two podiums until then?
“And he’s a seven-time world champion, and now the same with Ferrari.
“You don’t know what Lewis will achieve next year. If Ferrari does well and win a championship, it’s a great move.
“If Mercedes does well and they win a championship, it’s a bad move. How can you predict that?”
Fernando Alonso will be preparing to participate in his 400th F1 race at the Mexico City Grand Prix this weekend.
