Christian Horner now being ‘wooed’ by F1 chairman as he’s lost faith in his team principal

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Former Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner could make an argument to nearly every team on the grid next season that they should consider either hiring him or allowing him to invest in their outfits.

A return to Red Bull, or sister team Racing Bulls, is off the cards for Christian Horner, and it’s unlikely that we’ll see him standing alongside Toto Wolff or Zak Brown and Mercedes or McLaren, respectively.

However, the other seven teams that will be in the paddock next year could potentially all benefit from Horner’s influence and expertise.

Haas have suggested they won’t meet with Horner again after initial conversations took place, while the likes of Williams and Audi haven’t been mentioned in any conversations.

Cadillac are in the same position as Haas and already believe they have a structure in place ahead of their Formula 1 debut that doesn’t require the 51-year-old, while Alpine appear to be a logical landing spot for Horner, despite also denying any deal is being done.

The name that continues to crop up amid a tricky 2025 campaign is Ferrari.

Ferrari have been linked with Horner in recent weeks, despite the fact that current team principal Fred Vasseur signed a new contract in the summer.

Now, it appears that chairman John Elkann is taking matters into his own hands to avoid a repeat of this season’s disappointment.

READ MORE: All to know on sacked Red Bull team principal Christian Horner with net worth

Christian Horner being ‘wooed’ by Ferrari chairman John Elkann after losing faith in Fred Vasseur

A report from the Daily Mail has shared more details about Horner’s potential future in Formula 1.

The 51-year-old is believed to be desperate to return to the paddock quickly, with Horner sacrificing some of his Red Bull payout to shorten his gardening leave.

According to ‘several sources’, Horner is now being ‘wooed’ by Ferrari while also holding talks with other teams in the paddock.

It’s been suggested that Elkann has lost ‘faith’ in Vasseur, with Ferrari yet to achieve a Grand Prix victory this season.

Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton have just five podiums between them, with the seven-time world champion still waiting for his first trip to the rostrum.

The report goes on to say that ‘friends of Horner’ suggest he’s being ‘courted’ by a handful of teams in the paddock and he’s keen on a return to the sport.

While he hasn’t delivered a verdict on whether he would want to join Ferrari, it’s clear that results need to improve quickly in 2026 for Vasseur to stand a chance of retaining his job.

READ MORE: All you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory

How could Christian Horner impact Ferrari’s driver line-up if he replaces Fred Vasseur?

Ferrari’s current driver line-up of Hamilton and Leclerc is one of the strongest on the grid right now.

However, it’s well known that both are dissatisfied with their results this season, even if Hamilton released a defiant statement after the Singapore Grand Prix.

Leclerc has been linked with other F1 teams, while Hamilton has an extension clause in his deal that would see him stay at Ferrari until the end of 2027.

It’s well known that Hamilton and Horner haven’t always seen eye to eye, particularly after how the 2021 season ended in Abu Dhabi.

Horner told Hamilton to make Ferrari his own team, which wouldn’t have filled Leclerc with much confidence that he would back him should he replace Vasseur.

Eventually, Ferrari will need to dip into the driver market to replace one or both of their drivers.

Ferrari believe hiring Horner would block any future move for Max Verstappen, given how his camp viewed the former Red Bull team boss before his exit.

That may be a tricky point to negotiate during any talks, but immediate results will have to take priority for Elkann over any potential long-term driver signing.