Christian Horner has opened the door to a possible future with Ferrari, revealing that the Maranello team is the one Formula 1 operation he would be prepared to join without receiving an ownership stake. The former Red Bull CEO and team principal described Ferrari as “the dream” and the “sleeping giant of F1” in an interview with The Times, comments that are unlikely to go unnoticed amid renewed speculation surrounding Fred Vasseur’s position.
The timing makes Christian Horner’s remarks particularly significant. Ferrari has gone four consecutive Grands Prix without a podium, a difficult run that has increased the scrutiny surrounding the team and its leadership. The Scuderia’s recent struggles and the questions emerging around its direction have already become a major talking point as the team tries to recover from its four-race podium drought.
Christian Horner opens door to Ferrari without an ownership stake
Christian Horner’s standing within Formula 1 is considerable given his record during more than two decades at Red Bull. As team principal, he oversaw 124 Grand Prix victories, six Constructors’ Championships in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2022 and 2023, as well as eight Drivers’ Championships.
Sebastian Vettel won four consecutive titles under Christian Horner between 2010 and 2013, before Max Verstappen delivered another four Drivers’ Championships in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Against that background, Christian Horner has now effectively put himself forward for Ferrari with comments that leave little room for interpretation.
“I’ve always just been an employee, I spent 21 years sitting on the pit wall and I don’t need to go back to doing that. At this point in my life, there’s only one team for which I’d accept not having an equity stake,” Christian Horner said.
Christian Horner: “Ferrari is the dream”
That team is Ferrari. Christian Horner made his admiration for the Maranello organisation explicit, highlighting the status the Scuderia still holds within Formula 1 despite its long wait to return consistently to the top.
“Ferrari is the biggest brand in Formula 1. It’s the dream. And you could say it is the sleeping giant of F1,” Christian Horner explained.
The former Red Bull boss also referred to his long-running rivalry with Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff, suggesting that he still feels his Formula 1 career has another chapter to offer.
“I feel I’ve still got one more dance in me. And Toto needs his f***ing hair ruffled,” Christian Horner added.
Horner removes a major obstacle to a possible Ferrari move
The message from Christian Horner therefore appears clear: the door to Ferrari is open. Around 14 months after his departure from Red Bull, one of the main factors previously considered an obstacle to a move to Maranello may no longer apply.
Christian Horner had repeatedly been associated with the desire to secure an ownership stake as part of his next Formula 1 project. That ambition was widely considered difficult to reconcile with becoming Ferrari team principal, where such an arrangement would be considerably more complicated. His latest comments now indicate that Ferrari would be the exception.
Christian Horner has been linked with Maranello before, including after his Red Bull departure, when the implications of a potential move for Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton were already being discussed.
Now there appears to be no ownership requirement standing in the way from Christian Horner’s side. The former Red Bull team principal has effectively called Ferrari’s attention to his availability. The remaining question is whether the Prancing Horse will respond.
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