Rumour mill goes into overdrive after Alonso manager meets Horner
Tuesday 30 July 2013 09:23, UK
Christian Horner has refused to deny that Fernando Alonso is a contender to replace Mark Webber at Red Bull in 2014.
No sooner had Horner's words left his lips than speculation abounded that the Red Bull boss was simply being mischievous with the intent of destabilising Ferrari - although given that the Scuderia lost further ground at the Hungaroring, it is a moot point just how much of a threat they currently pose Red Bull. Ferrari boss Stefano Domenicali in any case was swift to remind his interrogators that Alonso is tied to long-term contract with the Scuderia, which officially runs to the end of 2016. Asked if he was concerned he could lose his star driver to Red Bull, Domeniciali replied: "No, I mean first of all we have a contract with him and for sure everyone knows about it. "Fernando is an asset for the team and we need him to work very closely with everyone above all in this difficult moment of the season." Nonetheless, it was perhaps telling that the Spaniard himself declined to refute suggestions he would be willing to leave the team for Red Bull. "I'm very happy [at Ferrari] but we need to improve the car if we want to have a chance of winning the World Championship," Alonso replied. The ambiguity of that reply - in old-fashioned speak, a non-denial denial - could of course be interpreted as a ploy to galvanise his flagging team ahead of the summer break, but rumours of Alonso's discontent have spread in recent weeks and stranger things have happened in F1. After all, who predicted Lewis Hamilton would depart for Mercedes this time last year?