Here's the thing, as Crash.net reports, Christian Horner has finally set the record straight on those wild rumours linking him with the top job at Ferrari. The 52-year-old Briton found himself at the centre of intense paddock speculation after a recent interview with The Times, where he seemingly opened the door to the Scuderia by calling the role "the dream" and an exception to his usual rule regarding team ownership.
That admission only poured fuel on the fire surrounding the future of current boss Fred Vasseur. But Horner, speaking to The Guardian, was quick to push back and clarify his position. Vasseur, he noted, is an experienced operator who has done a decent job while facing the immense pressures of running a competitive organisation. According to Horner, his previous remarks simply got taken out of context.
Let's be clear about what it would actually take to tempt him back into the pit lane. Ferrari might well be the biggest brand in Formula 1 and the most historic team on the grid, but the reality is stark. Horner pointed out that he has accumulated phenomenal capital to back his next move in the sport, and any future involvement hinges entirely on having an ownership stake attached to it. Since Ferrari are not going to sell shares, a marriage between the two was never genuinely on the cards.
Horner made no secret of his contentment to sit outside the sport for now and watch how opportunities unfold over the coming months or years. A return is certainly not a mandatory prerequisite for him, and he stated firmly that he would only come back for the right opportunity alongside like-minded people who share a singular desire to win. He would never go back just to take part.
For context, the former Red Bull chief departed his previous post in July last year, walking away with an eye-watering payoff due to having six years left to run on his contract. Meanwhile, the team in Maranello took the unusual step of publicly backing Vasseur amidst the noise, with drivers Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc both insisting that the Frenchman is indeed the right person for the job.
