Is Horner joining Ferrari realistic?

Not for the first time, and probably not the last either, reports have surfaced this week linking Christian Horner with Ferrari.

Horner officially left Red Bull in September, having been sacked from his duties as team principal and chief executive in July after 20 years in charge.

The 51-year-old was understood to have taken a reduced pay-out in the region of £75m to ensure he will be allowed to return to the sport in next spring.

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Given Horner's record of success at Red Bull and his clear intention to return to the paddock sooner rather than later, there has been inevitable speculation over where the Brit could land.

Horner oversaw two periods of dominance by Red Bull, with Sebastian Vettel and the team winning four consecutive drivers' and constructors' championships from 2010-2013 and Max Verstappen winning the last four drivers' championships from 2021-2024. Red Bull were also constructors' champions in 2022 and 2023.

There have been stories linking him with the likes of Aston Martin, Haas and new 2026 entrant Cadillac, but each team has publicly played down the possibility.

The latest rumour came on Monday when the Daily Mail reported that Horner is being courted by Ferrari chairman John Elkann.

A source has told Sky Sports News that exploratory conversations have taken place, but other sources, in Italy, have downplayed the seriousness of the links.

Is the job even available?

In Fred Vasseur, Ferrari already have a team principal. Not only is the Frenchman still in position, but he received a multi-year contract extension as recently as July.

While results in the five races since then have been disappointing, the deal given to Vasseur would suggest the Ferrari hierarchy are keen to give him the chance to lead the team into the new generation of regulations for next season, which have the potential to reset the pecking order.

There were signs of progress after Vasseur joined Ferrari in 2023, and last year the Frenchman came extremely close to leading the team to a first constructors' title since 2008.

Vasseur's stock rose as he pulled off the major coup of signing Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes for the 2025 season, with the seven-time world champion's pairing alongside Charles Leclerc further raising expectations.

However, it's largely been downhill since then. Ferrari are without a 2025 grand prix win with just six of the 24 rounds remaining, and a recent drop-off in form has left them hanging onto third in the constructors' standings, with Red Bull - effectively a one-car team this year - only eight points back.

There is no doubt that a poor start to 2026 would put Vasseur under huge pressure, but it seems highly unlikely he won't remain in charge over the winter.

Could Ferrari give Horner the control he desires?

Given the nature of Horner's exit from Red Bull, there was a suggestion that he would like to avoid leaving himself vulnerable to being forced out of a team again in the future.

The way to do this would be to find a similar situation to his long-time rival Toto Wolff, who is both Mercedes team principal and the owner of a third of the Silver Arrows.

Equity and total control are the two pillars that Horner is understood to desire, but neither of those would be possible at Ferrari due to the way the team is structured.

The question is whether Horner would be tempted to give up those desires in order to secure an immediate return to a top team, where he could feasibly be straight back into title contention.

In terms of legacy, there's also the potential opportunity to end what is about to become a 17-year streak without either a drivers' or constructors' title for Ferrari.

Are Ferrari and Horner a good fit?

There are several other elements that provide potential barriers to Horner joining Ferrari.

The first is purely logistical. Would Horner uproot himself, and potentially his family, from England to go and live in Italy, where he would surely need to be based to run Ferrari?

It's been a recurring theme in Ferrari's attempts to sign some of the sport's best talent, with many based in England's motorsport hub not keen on moving to Italy.

There would also be cultural challenges for Horner to overcome, if he were to become the first Brit to run the team. He is not known to speak Italian and would therefore have communication challenges to face before getting to the business of racing.

It also remains to be seen whether Ferrari bosses would see Horner as a good fit with the company's wider brand.

Allegations of inappropriate behaviour made against Horner in February 2024 by a female colleague were dismissed following an appeal last summer. Horner denied the accusations throughout.

A Horner-Hamilton partnership?

Horner has spent much of his career battling Hamilton for titles, with the competition extremely intense at times.

Despite Horner often engaging in extreme wars of words with Wolff, a healthy respect has appeared to remain with Hamilton.

Following Horner's sacking in July, Hamilton described his success at Red Bull as "remarkable" and wished his compatriot "all the best" for the future.

While it's fair to say that Hamilton doesn't appear to have a problem with Horner, it's also worth noting that he is close to Vasseur and was persuaded to join Ferrari by the Frenchman.

It also remains to be seen how many more seasons Hamilton will spend at Ferrari, with the 40-year-old's contract with team understood to expire at the end of the 2026 season.

Conclusion: Highly unlikely for now!

Considering all the information available, it seems highly unlikely Ferrari will abandon the Fred Vasseur project at this point.

While it would be natural for Ferrari to want to be aware Horner's situation, it should also be remembered that Aston Martin chief Andy Cowell said earlier in October that the former Red Bull boss was "ringing up pretty much every team owner" as he seeks a route back into F1.

Conversations may have occurred, but only those involved in them know the details, such as who initiated them and how advanced they were.

Ferrari also don't seem to fit the bill for the sort of situation in which Horner would ideally like to return to the sport.

At the moment, the union doesn't appear realistic for either side, but that's not to say the situation couldn't change.

A poor start to next season could leave Vasseur's future in doubt, while if Horner's ideal situation fails to materialise, a more traditional team principal role - especially at a team of Ferrari's size - could become more appealing.

F1's title race now heads back to North America, with the United States Grand Prix in Austin up first as the Sprint format returns from this Friday, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW - no contract, cancel anytime