'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIH/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQL/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAMPss//EAB8QAAICAgEFAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIEAQMREgAFBhNhcv/aAAgBAQABPwBcEGtVr2qJC0syYeTaIx8cW6r25SvVUSSNpAEDNkkzG/vGef/EABURAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB/9oACAECAQE/AI//xAAVEQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEf/aAAgBAwEBPwCv/9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
F1 pundit Mark Hughes claimed that both Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso tried to get a seat at Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen but were rejected by the Austrian team.
The Spaniard signed a new deal with Aston Martin that would see him race for them until the end of the 2026 season at least. Meanwhile Hamilton, signed a multi-year deal with Ferrari at the beginning of 2024 for 2025 and beyond.
On the social media platform X, a fan mentioned that drivers like Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, Hamilton, and Alonso were offered a second seat at Red Bull alongside Verstappen. The fan added that they refused the offer, fearing to drive alongside the three-time world champion.
However, F1 pundit Mark Hughes was quick to refute those claims and didn't entertain the notion of any of the drivers mentioning being scared of the Dutch driver. He tweeted:
"That’s just plain untrue. Neither Leclerc, Hamilton nor Alonso were offered a place. Hamilton and Alonso both tried and were told no."
Fernando Alonso chimes in about being interested in other options after mega Aston Martin deal
Fernando Alonso stated that he did speak with other teams before signing a contract extension with Aston Martin.
Speaking with the media, including Sportskeeda, the two-time world champion said it was 'normal' to inquire about other seats.
“I did speak with other people as well, yes. I think it’s normal when you enter negotiations, you need to balance a little bit, what is the market, and you need to listen to everyone else as well. It’s a normal procedure and I think it’s fair as well to listen to all the proposals and to see how the market moves,” Alonso said.
“But I don’t know, in my head, Aston was the logical thing for me to do. In the end, it was also the best, and I felt the most wanted in Aston Martin. All the other conversations were just light and never came to any conclusions or something like that. In Aston, it was a clear desire to work together, which was the same that I had.”
There were only two real options for Fernando Alonso apart from the Silverstone-based team: Red Bull and Mercedes. However, he had previously snubbed the latter, stating that the team was "behind us, so it doesn’t feel that attractive,” while he didn't get a nod from the current world champions.
