Christian Horner sent F1 return message as Ferrari chief issues statement on current boss

Christian Horner has been spending more time with his Spice Girls singer wife Geri Halliwell and their children since he was axed by Red Bull but is known to be keen on a return to F1

Ferrari have issued a public show of support for team boss Frederic Vasseur amid speculation over his future. The backing arrives during a troublesome period for the Scuderia, who have not claimed a Formula 1 Grand Prix victory all season, and follows speculation linking the Italian giants with Christian Horner.

The high-profile former Red Bull boss, 51, will be available to join a rival F1 outfit next season after he was axed back in July. He finally reached an agreement regarding the terms of his departure last month and pocketed a payout believed to be worth around £80million.

His two-decade reign at the team yielded an impressive 14 championships, making him an attractive proposition for team owners ahead of next year’s campaign – especially if they are lacking performance on track when the new 2026 regulations kick in.

Some reports have indicated Horner might be in talks with Ferrari to take over from team principal Vasseur. However, prior to Sunday’s United States Grand Prix, chairman John Elkann chose to publicly support the Frenchman, who signed a multi-year deal extension earlier in 2024.

Elkann said: “I want to express our full confidence in our team principal, Fred Vasseur, and in the work he is carrying out together with all his colleagues at Scuderia Ferrari – the mechanics, engineers, and drivers who are competing this weekend in Austin.

“I also want to emphasize the importance of teamwork from everyone to maintain focus on the only goal that truly matters: always giving our absolute best on track.”

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Horner is weighing up his options for a comeback to F1, having already reached out to several team owners up and down the pit lane. However, any potential new role in the sport would likely hinge on whether he can secure a financial stake in the team under consideration.

Not only was Horner the team principal at Red Bull Racing, but he also held the position of chief executive. Despite not owning equity, he had near-absolute power – a situation that the Austria-based parent company was comfortable with when founder Dietrich Mateschitz was at the helm.

However, this changed when his son Mark took over following his father’s death in 2022. In more recent times, Horner’s level of influence became a bone of contention for those running Red Bull GmbH.

Those tensions are thought to be part of the reason behind his departure. Yet, if he were to make a return with Ferrari, he would undoubtedly face more politics and certainly wouldn’t be given the level of control he might anticipate.