Christian Horner Has Made His Feelings Clear on Ferrari Move After Becoming 'Top Target'

Christian Horner has already made his feelings clear on a move to Ferrari amid claims that the team are 'focused' on appointing him as team principal.

Horner was sacked from his dual roles as Red Bull CEO and team principal in July.

A payoff worth a reported £52 million was agreed last month, meaning the 51-year-old is free to negotiate a return to Formula 1 for 2026.

He had previously spent his entire F1 career with Red Bull, taking the helm for all 405 of the team's Grands Prix up until his departure.

On Thursday, veteran German journalist Ralf Bach claimed that Ferrari president John Elkann has become 'focused' on signing Horner as team principal amid doubts over the future of current boss Frederic Vasseur.

The Scuderia haven't won a Grand Prix in 2025 - their only success was when Lewis Hamilton won the sprint race in China - and have regularly been battling for places towards the end of the top 10.

They are third in the Constructors' Championship, ahead of Red Bull, but that is little consolation in a season of disappointment thus far.

"Horner has 14 world championship titles on his resume," Bach told F1-Insider. "They've extended Vasseur's contract, and yet his position is apparently already wobbling again. And that's where Horner comes in."

Horner's links with Ferrari stretch all the way back to 2006, when he negotiated for the Italian team to supply engines to Red Bull ahead of what was their second season in Formula 1.

That arrangement only lasted a year, with the engines proving largely unreliable, but Horner revealed in 2021 that he held talks with Ferrari over providing engines once again as Red Bull desperately searched for a supplier after parting company with Renault.

And in May of this year, reports claimed that the Scuderia had expressed interest in appointing Horner as team principal after a slow start to the season.

Horner made his feelings clear on a potential move by categorically dismissing the reports - though it is worth noting that he was still employed by Red Bull at the time.

He also said it was 'flattering' to receive interest from other teams but reiterated his '100 per cent commitment' to Red Bull - something which is, of course, no longer the case.

Speaking at the Spanish Grand Prix, he said: "Of course it's always flattering to be associated with other teams but my commitment 100 per cent is with Red Bull. It always has been, and certainly will be for the long-term.

"There's a bunch of speculation always in this business. People coming here, going there, or whatever. I think people within the team know exactly what the situation is.

"My Italian is worse than Flavio [Briatore, Alpine's Italian team principal]'s English, so how on earth would that work?"

Horner has plenty of time on his hands between now and next season to learn some Italian if a move to Ferrari does progress.