Craig Slater addresses whether Fred Vasseur and Christian Horner could form a partnership at Ferrari

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Christian Horner is looking for a new job, and Craig Slater has addressed the chances of him partnering up with Fred Vasseur at Ferrari.

The 51-year-old’s exit from Red Bull was confirmed in September, and he has since contacted several F1 teams over the possibility of taking up a role to secure his return to the paddock next season.

Horner only wants to return as a stakeholder, which was one of the things he lacked during his 20-year tenure in Milton Keynes, and made him so vulnerable once they were ready to cut ties with him.

Haas have already turned down Horner’s advances, and several other teams have made it clear that they don’t require the services of the former Red Bull team principal.

However, an option that has emerged is that of Ferrari, whose performances have left a lot to be desired since they came so close to securing the constructors’ championship at the end of the previous F1 campaign.

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

Craig Slater isn’t sure how Fred Vasseur would feel about working under Christian Horner at Ferrari

Ferrari are taking the links with Horner ‘very seriously’ according to reports, making it seem like a move to Maranello for the 51-year-old is genuinely on the cards.

Speaking to Sky Sports News, presenter Craig Slater shared his thoughts on the current rumours between the two parties, saying, “That would be a big career move. So, I think it’s possible, but it’s maybe not the most obvious next step for Horner. 

“Fred Vasseur, who they’ve only just recently given a three-year contract extension to, and he’s doing a solid job as well. They have had positive results. They’ve been on an upward trajectory until this year when they started the year with a difficult car.

“However, he has avoided the team lapsing into a crisis. They have worked hard to sort their problems out. They are integrating Lewis Hamilton within the team.

One or two reports have suggested, Fred Vasseur could still be there with Horner as a kind of executive chairman figure to have the kind of setup that McLaren has. I’m not sure how Fred would feel about that.”

Vasseur has been frustrated by reports linking Horner to Ferrari, which makes it seem like the Frenchman would be dead set against being bossed around by his former rival at the Scuderia in the future.

It would be very interesting to see how the team dynamic would shift within Ferrari if Horner is successful in returning to the F1 paddock in the iconic red colours of the Scuderia.

READ MORE: Who is Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur? Everything you need to know

Lewis Hamilton could potentially block Ferrari from acquiring Christian Horner’s services

Something that may prevent Ferrari from being able to sign Horner involves the differences that Lewis Hamilton holds against the former Red Bull man.

The seven-time world champion was involved in an intense title fight with Horner’s team in 2021, and given the way that the championship was decided and everything that went down during the hotly-contested season, he will be completely against the move.

Hamilton made it clear that he has nothing personal against the 51-year-old, but the controversial way in which the 2021 title was snatched away from him is something that still cuts the 40-year-old deeply.

Horner also has a deep rivalry with Mercedes chief Toto Wolff, who also felt the full brunt of the questionable events that took place.

That’s also the main reason why any rumours of the executive joining Mercedes have been shot down immediately.