In the fast-paced, high-octane world of Formula 1, the drama off the track often rivals the adrenaline-fueled action on it. As the paddock gears up for the landmark 2026 season, two major stories have emerged that paint a vivid picture of the sport’s past, present, and future. On one side, we have the evergreen veteran Fernando Alonso, celebrating a mind-bending career milestone with a purchase that screams automotive royalty. On the other, the reigning champion Max Verstappen has finally pulled back the curtain on the internal collapse at Red Bull Racing that led to the shocking departure of longtime team principal Christian Horner.
Alonso’s $10 Million Masterpiece
For Fernando Alonso, 2026 is not just another season; it is a monumental anniversary. It marks exactly 20 years since the Spanish matador claimed his second consecutive World Championship with Renault in 2006. It is a statistic that seems almost impossible in a sport known for its brutal turnover rate. Alonso himself has admitted to the New York Times that the realization “blows his mind.”
“Even though you don’t think too much about these things, if you stop a little bit and you reflect, for sure it blows my mind,” Alonso confessed. The passage of time is deceptive. To Alonso, the battles of 2007, 2010, and 2012 feel like yesterday. Even his last race win in 2013 feels recent, despite a decade-long drought where he often found himself in machinery unworthy of his talents.
But while his hunt for a third title continues—bolstered by the arrival of design genius Adrian Newey at Aston Martin—Alonso has found a way to celebrate his legacy off the track that has left car enthusiasts breathless. The Asturian driver has reportedly added one of the most exclusive and expensive vehicles in history to his personal collection: a Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR.
This is no ordinary supercar. The CLK GTR is a homologation special, a term that carries a mythical weight in the automotive world. Developed in the late 1990s, it was a race car born for the FIA GT Championship that was barely civilized for the road to meet regulation requirements. It is a direct descendant of a winning endurance racer, a machine built with a singular purpose: speed.
Only a handful of these silver arrows were ever built, making them one of the rarest road-going performance cars in existence. According to reports, examples of the CLK GTR now regularly change hands for sums in excess of $10 million. It is a staggering figure that reflects not just the car’s rarity, but its historical significance.
Alonso was recently spotted navigating the tight, glamorous streets of Monaco in this automotive unicorn. In a touch of personal branding that delighted fans, the car was adorned with the registration plate “1414,” a clear and proud nod to his Formula 1 race number, 14. Seeing a legend of the sport behind the wheel of such a legendary machine is a poetic collision of eras—a champion who refuses to retire driving a car that refuses to age.
The “Unrest” at Red Bull: Verstappen Speaks Out
While Alonso enjoys the fruits of his labor in Monaco, the atmosphere at Red Bull Racing has been far more turbulent. The paddock is still reeling from the events of 2025, a year that saw the dissolution of the most successful partnership in modern F1 history. Christian Horner, the man who built the team from the ground up, was sacked following the British Grand Prix in July 2025.
For months, speculation ran rampant about the true reasons behind the split. Now, Max Verstappen has offered a candid and revealing insight into the “unrest” that plagued the team during that difficult period.
Reflecting on the departure, Verstappen conceded that the team was far from a happy camp. The start of the 2025 season was marred by inconsistency. Although Verstappen managed to salvage two race wins in the first half of the year, the dominance that defined the previous era had evaporated. The car was unpredictable, and the Dutchman looked to be slipping out of the title fight as the summer break approached.
“Things weren’t going particularly well for the whole team in terms of results,” Verstappen told Viaplay. “There was a bit of unrest in the team. And when things don’t go well for a long time, in the end, the shareholders also wanted to change because they weren’t happy with how things were going either.”
This admission confirms what many insiders suspected: the decision to remove Horner was not impulsive but a reaction to a deep-seated stagnation. The “Red Bull style of old”—that sharp, aggressive, win-at-all-costs arrogance—had been lost. The team that once operated with military precision and pirate swagger had become disjointed.
Verstappen’s relationship with Horner was profound. They had achieved the impossible together, dethroning Mercedes in the fiery crucible of 2021. Verstappen acknowledged the difficulty of the separation, noting that Horner had “gone through fire” for him during the most intense moments of his career.
“Ultimately, it’s always difficult,” Verstappen said. “You’ve built up a bond with Christian and achieved so much… You never forget that. Things like that are always difficult when you talk to each other on the phone.”
A New Dawn Under Laurent Mekies
However, professional sports rarely allow time for sentimentality. The departure of Horner paved the way for a new leadership structure, with Laurent Mekies stepping in as Team Principal. According to Verstappen, this change has sparked a renaissance in team morale.
The heavy atmosphere that hung over the garage during the final days of the Horner era has lifted. Verstappen described a renewed energy within the factory and at the track. “The team is doing well. We have a lot of confidence,” he stated. “You see people smiling. There’s a great atmosphere. Everyone gets on well with each other.”
It appears that the shake-up, while painful, was necessary to excise the “unrest” and restore the collaborative spirit that Red Bull had lost. Verstappen was blunt in his assessment: “That’s something we missed at one point. The Red Bull style had been lost or gone a bit. That has definitely returned.”
The Road to 2026
As the sport moves toward the revolutionary regulations of 2026, the landscapes of these two teams—Aston Martin and Red Bull—could not be more different yet intertwined.
Fernando Alonso, entering his 20th year since his last title, is betting on the genius of Adrian Newey—the very man who designed Verstappen’s championship-winning cars—to deliver him one final shot at glory with Aston Martin. The symmetry is striking. Alonso is hoping to capitalize on the brain drain from Red Bull, utilizing Newey’s expertise to craft a challenger for the new era.
Meanwhile, Red Bull is rebuilding its identity post-Horner. Under Mekies, and with a happier Verstappen, they are looking to prove that the team is bigger than any single individual, even one as foundational as Christian Horner. The “unrest” may be over, but the pressure to perform remains as crushing as ever.
Legacy and Luxury
These stories remind us that Formula 1 is a multi-faceted beast. It is about the machinery, like Alonso’s $10 million CLK GTR, a celebration of engineering excellence and personal triumph. It is about the relentless passage of time, which turns fresh-faced champions into veterans stunned by their own longevity. And it is about the brutal human element, where relationships are forged in fire and severed by the cold reality of results.
Alonso driving his silver Mercedes through Monaco is a symbol of a career that has transcended the sport. He is an icon, a brand, and a historian of his own life. His purchase is not just a display of wealth; it is a nod to the era of racing that formed him—raw, mechanical, and rare.
Verstappen’s revelations, on the other hand, ground us in the gritty present. They show us that even the most dominant dynasties are fragile. The loss of the “Red Bull style” was a warning sign that the shareholders heeded, perhaps ruthlessly, but effectively. By prioritizing the team’s atmosphere over loyalty to a long-serving leader, Red Bull made a gamble that seems to be paying off in morale, if not yet fully in championships.
As 2026 dawns, the grid is set. Alonso has his toys and his renewed hope with Newey. Verstappen has a smiling team and a fresh start. The history books are ready to be written, but for now, the headlines belong to the revelations of the past and the luxuries of the present. Whether it is a $10 million hypercar or the firing of a team boss, in Formula 1, nothing is ever done quietly.