If there was ever a slight chance of Fernando Alonso racing for Red Bull next season, team boss Christian Horner just squandered that prospect once and for all.
Following Daniel Ricciardo's shock move from the Milton Keynes-based outfit to Renault, a plum seat has emerged at Red Bull Racing, and with it some wild hopes that it could be filled by the two-time world champion whose talent has lingered at McLaren for the past four years.
In a podcast with Formula 1's Tom Clarkson, Horner addressed the speculation and why it will never come to pass.
"I have got huge respect for Fernando," said Horner.
"He’s a great driver, a fantastic driver. But I think it’s very difficult to see… he tends to cause a bit of chaos wherever he’s gone.
"I’m not sure it would be the healthiest thing for the team for Fernando to join the team."
Having put the Spaniard's case to rest, Horner offered a reminder that Red Bull's philosophy was to choose from within its own family of drivers.
"Our preference would be to continue to invest in youth than take a driver who’s obviously close to the end of his career," he said.
Red Bull's Carlos Sainz, currently on loan to Renault, and Toro Rosso's Pierre Gasly are seen as the most likely options when it comes to choosing the driver that will be racing alongside Max Verstappen next year.
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