Former F1 driver believes “Christian Horner is the leader Ferrari needs to win again”. Johnny Herbert believes Christian Horner is the man who could restore Ferrari’s winning mentality.

Ferrari is going through a complicated period, and according to former Formula 1 driver Johnny Herbert, the key to the team’s revival could have a very specific name: Christian Horner.

In an exclusive interview with Bettinglounge.co.uk, Herbert once again pointed to the former Red Bull Team Principal—who is currently free from contractual obligations for next season—as the ideal figure to bring the winning mentality back to Maranello.

“As in every winning team, you need the person capable of building the fastest car,” explained the former British driver. “I really like Fred Vasseur, but perhaps Ferrari still lacks someone who can create a true ‘winning formula’. And today, that name is Christian Horner.”

Leadership and creativity: the keys to Ferrari’s revival

According to Herbert, the team’s main problem is not the drivers—“among the best on the grid”—but rather the technical structure and the absence of a leader able to unleash the engineers’ creativity. “Christian gave Adrian Newey the freedom to create, and from that came Red Bull’s magic. Ferrari has yet to find someone who can attract the best talents and allow them to work in the right way,” he said.

The former driver also emphasized that despite recent progress in terms of strategy and reliability, Ferrari still lacks pure speed. “Vasseur has just renewed his contract, but if things don’t improve next year, a change at the top would be inevitable. Horner would be the perfect choice to bring the Scuderia back to where it belongs.”

Aston Martin and Horner: unlikely, but not impossible

Herbert did not rule out the possibility of Horner considering other options, such as Aston Martin, though he believes it would be a difficult move. “Aston Martin might seem interesting, especially given the possible connection with Adrian Newey. But if Max Verstappen were to really leave Red Bull in 2027, that team would be one of his most likely destinations. In that case, Horner’s presence—after the recent tensions with Jos Verstappen—would make coexistence very complicated.”

For Herbert, then, Ferrari remains the only natural destination for a team leader like Horner. “It would be fantastic to see Ferrari truly fighting for the championship again. It’s been almost twenty years since Kimi Räikkönen’s last drivers’ title, and that’s simply too long.”