01 November 2023 , 08:00
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Fernando Alonso will not be replacing Sergio Perez at Red Bull, according to Sky Sports' Craig Slater.
Alonso, 42, has been linked with a shock move to partner Max Verstappen at Red Bull with Perez's future firmly in doubt. Perez crashed out of the Mexican Grand Prix on Sunday and is only 20 points ahead of Lewis Hamilton in second in the Drivers' Standings ahead of the final three races.
With Perez's contract also up at the end of the 2024 season, rumours have circulated about a possible move for Alonso, who is currently competing for Aston Martin. Meanwhile, a potential return for Daniel Ricciardo has been mooted, with the Aussie racing for AlphaTauri and finishing seventh in Mexico.
However, Slater has claimed that Alonso to Red Bull is a "non-starter". Slater told Sky Sports F1 Podcast : "Can we get rid of the elephant in the room which is Fernando Alonso potentially going to Red Bull?! My understanding is that is a non-starter, it is not going to happen.
"As much as they admire Alonso and what he can do, he is not above Ricciardo, as far as I understand it, as an option to drive for that team next year. This is not coming officially from the team but it is not going to happen.
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"Some senior and well-placed people have told me that maybe Alonso's management have been doing their due diligence again and assessing whether there are any better options for him next year. Perhaps that has been inflated into a 'he is going to take Perez's seat rather than Ricciardo'."
Sergio Perez crashed out of the Mexico race after contact with Charles Leclerc (AP)Perez's future is firmly in the balance as Red Bull weigh up their options. Helmut Marko, who has criticised Perez on multiple occasions in the past, reaffirmed that he will remain at Red Bull. He told Sky Italia: "How many times do I have to repeat this? Checo has a contract for 2024 and that will happen. He had a super weekend until the first lap of the race and I am convinced that he would have been on the podium [without the collision]."
Hamilton is chasing Perez for second-place in the Drivers' Championship and the Mercedes driver is hoping to pounce on the Mexican's recent errors. "It's mostly dependent on Checo's [Perez] weekends," Hamilton said. "They have the championship-winning car. He has just been unfortunate in some scenarios. I have lost quite a lot of points in the last two races but he lost points here.
"Having lost the points last week, I didn't think I would be in shooting range but, after today, we will give it the best shot. It's a bonus if we get second in the drivers'."