Ferrari have seemingly made a decision on whether to pursue Christian Horner after he was sacked by Formula 1 rivals Red Bull.
On Wednesday, the F1 world was stunned by the announcement that Horner had been ‘relieved of his operational duties’ by Red Bull, the team he had run for over two decades.
A number of factors led to the 51-year-old’s downfall, including a reported power struggle at the team, their poor performance over the past 12 months and the loss of key members of staff.
He also had a long-running feud with star driver Max Verstappen’s dad Jos, while the allegations of coercive behaviour towards a female colleague, for which he was twice cleared following internal investigations, continue to hang over him.
Regardless, Horner, husband of former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, is one of the greatest F1 team principals in history having won eight drivers’ championships and six constructors’ championships.
So it would not be a surprise to see the Brit back in the F1 paddock at a rival team in the near-future, with Sky Sports reporting that Horner’s gardening leave ends at the end of the year.
Horner still had over five years left on his contract at the time of dismissal and is still technically employed by Red Bull, with his lawyers working on a settlement agreement which could reportedly pocket him over £66million.
Several teams have been linked with his services, including French outfit Alpine, who are currently last in the standings, and Cadillac who will join the grid next year.
Ferrari have repeatedly attempted to lure Horner to Italy over the years and it was reported that they had approached him again just a few months ago.
The Scuderia have not won either championship since 2008 though they did come very close to winning the constructors’ title last season.
Those reports were dismissed by Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur but he remains under severe pressure with his side far behind runaway championship leaders McLaren.
The Frenchman is out of contract at the end of the year which could open the door for Horner, but he retains the backing of Sir Lewis Hamilton and The Times now report that Ferrari are in negotiations to extend Vasseur’s deal.
Christian Horner: Ferrari links ‘very flattering’
Prior to leaving Red Bull, Horner addressed the rumours linking him with Ferrari, telling Sky Sports in May:
‘It’s always very flattering to be associated with other teams.
‘My whole career has been spent with Red Bull and I’m absolutely committed to this team. There are so many rumours and speculations these days, it’s not even worth listening to.
Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari future in doubt amid Christian Horner links
Due to the intense rivalry between Red Bull and Hamilton’s former team Mercedes, the seven-time world champion doesn’t have the best of relationships with Horner.
As such, Horner’s potential move to Maranello may not go down so well with Hamilton who has cited Vasseur as a key factor in his decision to join the Italian team.
‘I can’t imagine this is the last that we will see or hear of Christian Horner. He already said he has big plans for 2026,’ F1 pundit Will Buxton told The Sports Agents podcast.
Christian Horner next F1 team odds
‘There have been rumours already this year that he was being courted by Alpine, rumours linking him to Ferrari.
‘I think that one’s more of a stretch than the Alpine one. He’s very close with Flavio Briatore. That one would seem to be more logical for me.
‘If they replaced Fred with Christian Horner, I don’t think Lewis would be a Ferrari driver for much longer!’
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