Fernando Alonso’s infamous “GP2 engine” criticism won’t only keep him out of an Andretti Indy seat but it also means he will never race for Red Bull in F1.
Unhappy with his Honda engine, Alonso lashed out at the Japanese manufacturer’s product during the 2015 Japanese GP.
In a message that he has since said was meant to be a “private” conversation but which was broadcast to the world, he called Honda’s power unit a “GP2 engine” and did it at their home race.
Honda are still smarting over it.
According to reports, Alonso was lining up an Andretti Autosport seat for this year’s Indianapolis 500 only for the big Honda bosses in Japan to nix it.
And it seems the same would apply in Formula 1.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko says Alonso would not be welcomed by Honda meaning there will not be a Red Bull seat for the Spaniard.
However, that’s not the only reason Red Bull would not sign the 38-year-old.
“As things stand today, Fernando Alonso’s return with Red Bull is absolutely impossible to imagine,” he said in an interview with Motorsport-Magazin.com.
“There are two reasons for that. First, there is the relationship between Alonso and Honda, which I think is quite broken.
“And second, our entire Formula 1 structure is based on our junior program, which means that our young talents move to the top category of racing.
“If we signed Alonso, he would be the oldest driver on the grid. That would contradict our entire philosophy.
“But as we use a Honda engine, it is impossible anyway.”
Alonso recently admitted he is “ready” to return to Formula 1 but his options for a top seat are limited.
While Red Bull has ruled him out, Mercedes are not likely to put him alongside Lewis Hamilton while Ferrari would make the same call with Charles Leclerc.
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