Fernando Alonso says he doesn’t regret turning Red Bull down after they approached him to join the team when he was negotiating terms with Ferrari in 2009.
This comes at a time when Red Bull are dominating the sport, having taken every pole position this season as well as six of the eight race wins.
The Spaniard however says racing for Ferrari is more important than securing another world championship title.
When asked if he regretted saying no to Red Bull, he replied: “No, no, because perhaps I’d have three or four world championships, but I wouldn’t be as happy as I am now nor would I be driving a Ferrari,” he told Santander.
“I think that it is more important for a racing driver to drive for Ferrari than it is to have a world championship.”
He also denied the decision was motivated by the potential pairing with Sebastian Vettel, a pairing which, if his time at McLaren is anything to go by, would have caused friction.
“I don’t have problems in sharing a team with anybody,” urged Alonso. “I have been lucky to be with great drivers, although when they share with me it seems that they have lost speed and have become bad drivers.
“Therefore, I like to beat my teammate, I like to race to the maximum and if a great driver comes and I also manage to beat him, perhaps what I do is valued more.”
When probed on his relationship with Lewis Hamilton and whether he would partner the 26-year-old again, the two-time champion replied: “Why not? I have no problem with Hamilton and neither did we have one at McLaren.
“I have the absolute respect for him. As long as it wasn’t at McLaren, sharing a team with Hamilton would be good.”
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