Alonso to Red Bull? Spain fully under the spell of 'Mega Swap'

For days now, the talk on Spanish-language social media channels has been about nothing else: Fernando Alonso and Sergio Perez swapping seats with each other for the '24 season. So in that case, Alonso would become Max Verstappen's teammate at Red Bull Racing, Perez the new first driver at Aston Martin. The rumour is so persistent that well-known figures in the paddock as well as Red Bull Spain seem to play into it with a big wink.

It is no secret that Perez's future at Red Bull has been in doubt for some time. His results lag far behind Verstappen's. As the season progresses, there are increasing signs that the Mexican will leave the Austrian team at least after 2024, perhaps even earlier. Daniel Ricciardo seems the obvious person to succeed Perez in that case.

Rumours are fuelled

Yet in Spain, there is hope that Fernando Alonso will get the chance at Red Bull, to still claim that third world title for himself in his final season(s) in Formula 1. In recent days, that dream of Spanish fans has slowly turned into a rumour: could it after all be the case that Alonso will be in Red Bull's RB20 next season? For instance, a post on X by Spanish F1 journalist Albert Fabrega on Monday probably explains it.

No me quiero creer el rumor que me han dicho ahora en el paddock. No.

— Albert Fabrega (@AlbertFabrega) October 30, 2023

Even Red Bull in Spain is conveniently playing on the hype. The company put the following post on X:

- Red Bull España (@redbullESP) October 30, 2023

Meanwhile, the rumour is known in Spain as 'the Big Swap'. Whether there is a grain of truth in it? Spanish media have also seen it all passing by online and are unanimous: the chances of this rumour becoming true are very slim.