Fernando Alonso has revealed he turned down an offer to join Red Bull at the end of the 2009 season, but insisted he has no regrets because driving for Ferrari is more important than winning the world championship.

Alonso left Renault for the 2010 season to join the famous Italian team, and was in the mix for the title up until the last race up before Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel snatched his maiden title.

Red Bull have had by far the quickest car on the grid this season, with the German also looks well placed to become the youngest ever double world champion after picking up six wins from eight races so far, and is yet to finish outside of the top two during a race.

Ferrari meanwhile struggled to keep pace with their rivals in the early races of the season,  with President Luca di Montezemolo admitting after the Chinese Grand Prix in April that the famous marque “cannot and must not” keep turning out the same sub-par performances this season.

Their performance has improved of late however with Alonso picking up podium finishes in three of the last five races, but the double world champion is yet to get the better of Vettel in any of the first eight races.

“I think that it is more important for a racing driver to drive for Ferrari than it is to have a world championship” – Fernando Alonso

But Alonso said he had the opportunity to race for the dominant Milton Keynes-based team before he opted to join Ferrari, and says he has no regrets over the decision he made.

When questioned if he regretted joining Ferrari over Red Bull Alonso, Alonso told the Santander F1 website: “No, no.”

“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,”

“I think that it is more important for a racing driver to drive for Ferrari than it is to have a world championship,” he added.

The Spaniard recently put pen to paper and signed a new deal that will keep him with the Scuderia until 2016.

While his future is assured, team-mate Felipe Massa is yet to secure a new deal with the team, with speculation rife that the Brazilian could be replaced after next season.

Mark Webber has been linked with a move to Ferrari, and Alonso insists he doesn’t mind who his team-mate is, even if it was Lewis Hamilton.

Alonso and Hamilton clashed regularly during their time as team-mates in 2007 with McLaren, but Alonso said linking up with the 2008champion wouldn’t be an issue – so long as it wasn’t with McLaren again.

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,” he commented.

Ferrari are expected to compete with Red Bull for victory at the British Grand Prix next week. There will be some added spice to their competition after Red Bull advisor Marko Helmut described the decision to ban the controversial blown diffusers from the race at Silverstone onwards half way through the season an attempt to give Ferrari an “advantage” Last week.

For the latest news ahead of the British Grand Prix this weekend  stay tuned to formula1fancast.

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