Red Bull move impossible for Alonso

Red Bull boss Christian Horner has clarified that there will be no seat available for Fernando Alonso at the Milton Keynes team should he choose to leave McLaren when his current contract expires at the end of this year.

The Spaniard had suggested in Baku that not every team is "100 per cent confirmed" with regard to their 2018 driver lineups, but Horner has now stepped in to insist that Red Bull would be a closed door for him; the team is keen to retain both Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen, and the two supposedly have no exit clauses in their contracts: "There is no doubt in my mind or anyone in the team's mind that they're not part of the team next year," Horner told Sky Sports F1.

"The only driver who had a clause was Mr Vettel. We're very happy with the drivers and they just want to go quicker. They are on junior driver contracts whereas Seb was able to renegotiate after his second World Championship which had a bit of performance in it which gave him the trigger when Fernando made his move from Ferrari. These drivers don't have that trigger."

Turning his attention to Alonso directly, Horner was adamant: "We don't have space. It's a shame to see Fernando in the lack of competitive situation he is in but there is no room at the inn within Red Bull."

Mason Hawker