Christian Horner needs to accept that his dream Formula 1 move is never going to happen

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Christian Horner probably thought there would be more interest in his services after he was sacked by Red Bull last year.

In the last 12 months, he has been linked with two teams above all – Alpine and Aston Martin. Alpine have taken a major step forward under the new regulations, weakening the case to spend tens of millions on Horner.

And for Lawrence Stroll’s reported interest in Horner, it still sounds as if former Red Bull colleague Jonathan Wheatley will take over at Aston Martin once he has completed his post-Audi gardening leave.

Christian Horner can forget about joining Ferrari

Horner oversaw eight title-winning seasons and 124 victories during his time at Red Bull, but leadership structures in F1 have matured in recent years. Looking down the pit lane, Toto Wolff is the only old-fashioned, domineering team principal figure left.

This may be one of the reasons that teams have been reluctant to make Horner an offer. Equally, there’s no indication that the Briton is desperate to return; he says he wants to wait for the right project.

How should Red Bull have handled Christian Horner’s sacking? 🤔

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According to a recent report from The Daily Mail, Horner’s preferred option is Ferrari, rather than midfield outfit Alpine or the struggling Aston Martin.

Links to the iconic Italian outfit have persisted. Indeed, it was claimed just last month that Piero Ferrari wants to hire Horner, but chairman John Elkann intends to stand by Fred Vasseur.

But even with the backing of a powerful figure, Horner joining Ferrari simply isn’t realistic. Their current structure could not accommodate him and Vasseur, notwithstanding the Frenchman’s commendable performance this year (with Ferrari leading the pursuit of Mercedes).

Horner would command a level of power that is at odds with the culture at Ferrari. He himself has said that there are ‘too many people at the top’.

• READ MORE: Christian Horner has already told Ferrari their ‘biggest problem’ as he holds talks with iconic team

Lewis Hamilton is Vasseur’s biggest ally, even more so than Elkann, and he may still have multiple seasons left at Ferrari. It’s highly unlikely Hamilton, increasingly vocal behind the scenes, would accept such a move.

Horner took charge of a brand-new team at Red Bull and gradually turned them into serial champions, so one can understand why he might favour a swifter path to the top this time. Unfortunately, the door to the ‘big four’ teams is shut.

Even looking beyond Ferrari, the Red Bull chapter is closed, there’s no room in McLaren’s formidable structure and a move to Mercedes is fanciful. If Horner comes back to F1, he will be a midfield team boss at best.

And should he lead a new team instead – potentially BYD – he will have to start at the very back.