Christian Horner’s salary demands compared to Fred Vasseur’s if Ferrari make team principal switch

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Christian Horner is being heavily linked with a move to Ferrari as Fred Vasseur faces pressure to deliver results.

Horner is free to return to F1 in 2026 after serving a period of gardening leave at Red Bull. He was dismissed as team principal in July, before being relieved of all duties in September.

Already, the 51-year-old is being linked with several teams up and down the paddock, but the likes of Haas and Aston Martin have shut down any plans to sign him. Recently, he has been strongly linked with a move to Ferrari.

Fred Vasseur signed a multi-year extension with the Maranello squad earlier in the year, but he is facing increasing pressure to deliver results as Ferrari are winless in 2025. John Elkann is plotting to ‘get rid’ of Vasseur, with Horner being a prime target.

Horner is being ‘wooed’ by Elkann as he looks to bring the former Red Bull boss on board. But if a deal were to be agreed, it would come at a heavy cost.

Christian Horner would demand ‘two and a half times’ Fred Vasseur’s salary if Ferrari sign him

Red Bull paid Horner £80m to terminate his contract, which ran until 2030. According to journalist Roberto Chinchero, he is unlikely to want a salary lower than what he had in Milton Keynes, which was ‘two and a half times’ more than Vasseur at Ferrari.

“And so, this is the will, I don’t think, that is, I don’t think he should arrive at Maranello with carte blanche,” he said via Motorsport.com Italia. “A very long contract, overpaid, because I don’t think he’s willing to earn less than he earned at Red Bull.

“And we’re talking about a salary, probably two and a half times the salary [of] Vasseur now and [Mattia] Binotto before. So a change would be a big change.

“I mean, giving the keys to what was called sports management to a bit like [Jean] Todt’s keys: ‘This is the contract, see you in 5 years and draw a line’.

“But this is not the Ferrari of today, where there is the CEO, there is the president, it’s a bit more complex as a scenario, I mean, it’s not easy to have power in Maranello.”

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How realistic is a move to Ferrari for Christian Horner?

As Chinchero alludes to, Horner is likely to take on an ownership role if and when he returns to F1. He will also want a stake in said team and have absolute control.

This is where a move to Maranello could hit a stumbling block. Ferrari could deny Horner’s signing as they are unlikely to give him a share in the team.

This is a similar problem they had with Adrian Newey, who ended up joining Aston Martin. Ferrari will not sell a share to the legendary engineer, while Lawrence Stroll was more than happy to do so in Silverstone.

If reports are true, it seems that Elkann and Ferrari are keen on Horner’s services. Whether the two parties will strike a deal is to be seen.