Christian Horner reveals Ferrari is the ‘one team’ he would make an exception for

Christian Horner has revealed Ferrari is the “one team” he would make a career exception for, coinciding with whispers of a potential leadership change at the Scuderia gathering steam in the paddock.

Horner was let go from Red Bull last year after a highly successful 20-year career, following a turbulent period of internal power struggles within the squad and a desire from the parent company to take over marketing control.

Christian Horner opens door to Ferrari role amid Fred Vasseur speculation

Since leaving the paddock, Horner has been linked with numerous teams in relation to a quick return.

This included speculation that the 52-year-old could join either Alpine or Aston Martin – the latter seeing him partner with Adrian Newey once more.

In the case of Alpine, Horner is part of a consortium looking to purchase Otro Capital’s 24 per cent stake in the team.

There have also been discussions surrounding a potential 12^th team on the F1 grid, with Chinese electric car manufacturer BYD.

Speaking to The Times, Horner re-iterated his position that any return to the paddock will come with a key criterion: some form of stake in the game by way of a shareholding or ownership position, rather than being a employee in the way he was at Red Bull.

“I’ve been a hired hand. I did 21 years sitting on the pit wall. I don’t need to go back to that,” he said.

However, providing an immediate caveat to this, he added that there is just one squad on the grid for whom he would reconsider his stance of needing to have an ownership position: “At this stage in my life, there’s only one team for which I would accept non-participation in ownership.

“Would I consider Ferrari? I mean, Ferrari is the biggest brand in Formula 1. It’s the dream. And arguably, it’s the sleeping giant of Formula 1.”

Horner’s opening the door to a Ferrari conversation comes at a time when speculation about Fred Vasseur’s future with the team has bubbled up in the F1 paddock, whispers that refuse to fade away in the wake of a turbulent period for the squad.

Multiple sources have indicated to PlanetF1.com that the stage is set for a succession plan to be enacted at Ferrari after this season, in a move that will allow the 58-year-old to return to a lower-profile life and focus on personal priorities.

The suggestion is that of an ‘honourable discharge’ type-scenario being tabled for Vasseur to accept, with the team’s performance and dynamic said to only be a factor in the thinking behind the idea.

If this scenario does come to pass, the succession plan is not yet clear: speculation continues to link Antonello Coletta from Ferrari’s WEC programme, while there is also the potential for deputy team principal Jerome d’Ambrosio to step up into the role.

However, Horner’s indication of interest could yet prove to be highly tempting for Ferrari chairman John Elkann should the decision be taken to part ways with Vasseur, given the British executive’s exceptional track record of success and ability to handle politically charged environs.

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While links drawn between Horner and Ferrari are likely to catch the eye, the Red Bull boss of 20 years cooled anticipation of an imminent return, even if the continued noise around him suggests, “Perhaps I wasn’t that unpopular.

“There comes a point in time where a team’s competitiveness outweighs other egotistical stuff,” he said.

“I’m in a very fortunate position that I can afford to be picky. If I don’t do anything, I can live here for whatever time I’ve got left on the planet, and just worry about whether it’s going to rain and make the grass green or not.

“But is that going to fulfil me? No. I still feel that there’s another dance. And Toto needs to have his hair f***ing ruffled up.”

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

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