Red Bull’s Christian Horner is working hard to make everyone believe he could be leaving the team. He has already spoken about Ferrari, and now he has told the Times that there is just one team for which he would agree to not owning a share. That team is Ferrari.
His words were direct. “At this stage in my life, there’s only one team for which I would accept non-participation in ownership,” he said. Asked whether he would take a job there, he replied: “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.”
The timing makes itself clear. The speculation about Ferrari has grown steadily since then. Yet the issue goes beyond asking if Horner desires the position. One must also wonder if Ferrari would actually want him, and whether his terms could realistically be met.
Horner’s Words and Ferrari’s Response
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur was not impressed. After the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, he said: “Mr Horner is looking for a job – that, everybody knows – everywhere.” Vasseur added that the speculation surrounding the team meant Ferrari were “not working in the perfect serenity”.
Ferrari has made it plain that it does not wish for any noise on this matter. Horner has said he would consider taking up an offer, yet the real issues remain: what terms would have to be met before he accepted, and whether such an offer would even be extended to him at all.
How Ferrari Runs Its Team
Over the years, Horner has repeatedly stated his belief that a Formula 1 team requires one person in charge and in overall control. At Ferrari, that is highly unlikely to happen, given that chairman John Elkann and chief executive officer Benedetto Vigna will always hold more authority than any team principal.
At Red Bull, even though Horner held a leadership position with the F1 team, he still answered to the company’s headquarters in Austria. That is what caused his removal in the end. It is difficult to picture a scenario where Elkann and Vigna would permit themselves to be left out of any involvement in the F1 team.
The Baggage Horner Brings
The bigger issue concerns whether Ferrari wants Horner at all. Horner brings his own history with him. All of it, and then there is the cloud that followed him when he departed Red Bull.
There can be no denying his success as a team principal; his teams claimed eight drivers’ titles, six constructors’ championships and 124 grands prix across his two-decade run. Yet the organisation fell apart during his last 18 months at the helm, following the claims of sexual harassment and coercive, controlling behaviour levelled against him by a female employee.
Red Bull pushed back against those claims following two internal probes led by outside lawyers. The accusations played a major part in Adrian Newey stepping down from his post as chief technical officer, alongside internal politics during which Newey believed his standing within the team had been reduced by Horner.
Long-time sporting director Jonathan Wheatley and head of strategy Will Courtenay exited behind Newey. Horner’s dismissal came after a decline in performance that Red Bull bosses concluded the team appeared unable to arrest under his leadership.
Red Bull offered no explanation beyond “it was more Christian Horner Racing than Red Bull Racing”, according to Horner’s account of his firing in the Times interview. The executive also elaborates on the matter elsewhere in the conversation, noting: “I am a bit of a Marmite character. I know I’m not everybody’s cup of tea. It’s impossible to be.” And, further along, he observes: “I’m the cure and the problem.”
A careful weighing of the matter is required before settling on Horner as the leader of your F1 team.
Hamilton’s View of Horner
Over the last several years, it has become plain that Lewis Hamilton, the driver for Ferrari, holds very little regard for Horner.
Hamilton joining Ferrari would mean working under Horner, and that is not a minor point.
The Calendar Question
Another question from the Q&A concerns the last two races of the season. Nigel wanted to know why the FIA has not confirmed the adjustments to the calendar. The response is straightforward: it is Formula 1 itself, rather than the FIA, that determines the schedule. The FIA’s role is effectively only to rubber-stamp F1′ simply does not make that call.
F1’s current plans keep the season on its original schedule, with Las Vegas followed by Qatar and Abu Dhabi over the last two weekends in November and the first weekend in December.
The conflict persists between the US/Israel and Iran, yet the guidance F1 has received suggests stability in both nations, with little danger of attacks upon civilian infrastructure. The UK Foreign Office, for instance, refrains from discouraging travel to Qatar and Abu Dhabi, instead stating that the situation there “remains unpredictable” and that “there is a risk of more attacks and unforeseen escalation in the region”.
And the two countries consider themselves open for business.
The series has a backup option ready. The Italian track at Imola is getting set for a race over the weekend of Abu Dhabi. Should the two Middle Eastern events be called off because of a worsening of the situation in the Gulf, Imola would take over and run the final round of the season on 4-6 December.
Until something like that occurs, there will be no confirmation of any alterations, since there are presently no changes to confirm.
The Odds Are Not Good
Horner’s position is a difficult one. The chances are slim because the requirements he sets are nearly unattainable, and the weight of his past issues is considerable.
Elkann and Vigna hold more power than any team principal could ever hope to match. Horner’s belief in a single leader runs against how Ferrari operates, and there is no sign that either Elkann or Vigna would agree to alter their approach.
That cloud also hangs over him, following his departure from Red Bull. The charges of sexual harassment and coercive, controlling behaviour were dismissed by Red Bull after two investigations, but they still mark his record. Newey, Wheatley and Courtenay’s exit was part of the same unraveling, and the internal politics that drove it have not faded from memory.
There is also Hamilton, whose objections to working under Horner at Ferrari have been made plain, which makes him a serious obstacle for any team weighing a potential hire.
Horner has acknowledged that he divides opinion. He understands he is not everybody’s cup of tea. He is both the cure and the problem. Those are not the qualities of a man who is about to enter a room where many have reason to dislike him.
What Happens Next
It appears likely that Horner wants the Ferrari job, based on his statements in public interviews. However, he is not expected to obtain it.
What he asks for is beyond reason, and those who would need to accept it have shown no wish to do so. Ferrari is not operating in perfect peace, and Horner’s presence would only make that worse.
Horner is still at Red Bull, a position he has held since 2005. He has previously spoken of leaving and then changed his mind. He could bring up Ferrari once more, yet the signs point to him enjoying the discussion far more than the actual move.
Horner is staying put, and the talk about him leaving will keep on going. He has made his position clear, and the ball is now in Ferrari’s court.
Key Facts Box
– Horner won eight drivers’ titles and six constructors’ championships at Red Bull
– Red Bull sacked him in the wake of accusations of sexual harassment and coercive, controlling behaviour
– Ferrari’s Frederic Vasseur said Horner is “looking for a job – that, everybody knows – everywhere”
– Imola is ready to host the season finale if Abu Dhabi cannot run
– Hamilton has made it clear over the past few years that he has little time for Horner
Horner has completed his portion of the work, yet the narrative remains incomplete and appears to be turning against him. The outcome now rests upon Ferrari matching his effort.
Source material: “Does Horner have a chance of Ferrari job? F1 Q&A,” the BBC.
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