Christian Horner lifeline closes after Ferrari make contract announcement
PlanetF1.com understands that Ferrari made an approach to Christian Horner earlier this year
Christian Horner’s hopes of a swift return to F1 with Ferrari are over after team principal Fred Vasseur signed a new contract.
Ferrari confirmed on Thursday morning that Vasseur has agreed a new deal to remain in charge, ending weeks of speculation over the Frenchman’s future.
Christian Horner to Ferrari off the table as Fred Vasseur signs new contract
Horner was sacked by Red Bull after more than 20 years following the British Grand Prix earlier this month, with Racing Bulls boss Laurent Mekies installed as his successor as chief executive and team principal.
Horner had been the longest-serving team boss in F1 at the time of his dismissal, having been appointed by Red Bull ahead of the team’s first season in 2005.
The 51-year-old led the team to six Constructors’ titles and eight Drivers’ World Championships – split evenly between Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen – over the course of his tenure, with last weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix the first race in Red Bull’s history without Horner at the helm.
Ferrari had been suggested as a potential next destination for the Brit amid doubts over the future of Vasseur following the Italian team’s poor start to the F1 2025 season.
Go deeper: Christian Horner’s shock Red Bull exit
👉 How Red Bull 2.0 began life without Christian Horner at the Belgian GP
👉 Ranked: Is Christian Horner sack the biggest shock in F1 history?
As reported by PlanetF1.com last month, Ferrari is believed to have made an approach to Horner earlier this season prior to his Red Bull departure.
Antonello Coletta, the head of Ferrari’s successful World Endurance Championship operation, had also been mentioned as a potential target.
The contract Vasseur signed upon his appointment as Ferrari team principal in December 2022 had been due to expire at the end of this year, with the team’s winless first half of the F1 2025 season raising questions over its direction under the 57-year-old.
However, multiple sources indicated on Wednesday that Vasseur was nearing a new deal to remain in charge.
Ferrari confirmed the news in a statement on Thursday morning ahead of this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, with Vasseur signing a multi-year extension.
Benedetto Vigna, the Ferrari chief executive, revealed that Vasseur was making progress towards a new deal during an appearance at the British Grand Prix.
Mr Vigna said at Silverstone: “Teams grow with difficulties. Unity is strength and in Ferrari this is there and I can breathe it here.
“Vasseur’s future? He’s the team principal, it’s July and we’re discussing. We just had lunch together.”
The confirmation of Vasseur’s new contract is likely to be welcomed by Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, whose success in the junior categories was partly overseen by the Frenchman.
Both spoke in support of Vasseur after doubts over his future first emerged at last month’s Canadian Grand Prix, with Hamilton telling media including PlanetF1.com at Spa last week that he has held meetings with the team boss over how to proceed from a challenging 2025 season.
More on Ferrari F1 drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc from PlanetF1.com
Speaking to media including PlanetF1.com at the British Grand Prix, just days before his Red Bull exit was announced, Horner gave his backing to Vasseur to turn his situation around at Maranello.
Asked if he would consider joining Ferrari in the future amid suggestions that Vasseur’s job was under threat, he said: “I think in any organisation, stability is tremendously important.
“We’ve had 21 years of stability and that has borne the kind of results that we’ve achieved.
“I think Fred is a very capable manager. He’s obviously managing what effectively is a national team in Ferrari and with that comes expectation and pressure.
“He’s still relatively new to the role and it takes time to put the right processes in place, the right people, the right culture.
“There are no silver bullets in this business. It’s about collectively getting a group of people to work towards one objective.
“And with Ferrari, there is the added pressure of national expectation.”
Read next: George Russell set to sign multi-year contract extension with Mercedes
