Christian Horner has revealed his dream job in Formula One as the former Red Bull team principal plots a return to the sport. The Red Bull head honcho left in July 2025 and has been out of work ever since.
That hasn't stopped the rumour mill from swirling, with Williams, Alpine and Aston Martin all having been linked to Horner's services. So far, nothing has materialised, with Horner only believed to be considering a return if an ownership stake is on the table.
Ferrari the exception
However, Horner has admitted he would waive that if Ferrari ever came knocking. Labelling them the 'biggest sleeping giant' in Formula One, the Englishman told The Times: "I've been a hired hand. I did 21 years sitting on the pit wall. I don't need to go back to that."
"At this stage in my life, there's only one team for which I would accept non-participation in ownership. Would I consider Ferrari? I mean, Ferrari is the biggest brand in Formula 1. It's the dream. And arguably it's the sleeping giant of Formula One."
It's almost 20 years since a Ferrari driver last won a Drivers' Championship title, with Fred Vasseur the current team principal.
Demand remains
On the prospect of a return, he added: "I think the fact that, 14 months out of the sport, they're still talking about me shows that there's still a demand. Perhaps I wasn't that unpopular."
A return to the paddock would also likely mean a reunion with old adversary Toto Wolff. On the pair's rivalry, he said: "There comes a point in time where a team's competitiveness outweighs other egotistical stuff."
"I'm in a very fortunate position that I can afford to be picky. If I don't do anything, I can live here for whatever time I've got left on the planet, and just worry about whether it's going to rain and make the grass green or not."
A calculated move
Whatever you may think of Horner, he is nobody's fool. He is as shrewd an operator as Formula One has seen for decades and he never says anything without having considered the impact of his words, and what he might get out of it.
So for him to openly state he would abandon his desire for equity ownership in an F1 team if it was Ferrari that came knocking is a clear sign that he has shifted his efforts away from buying into a team and towards getting the Scuderia leadership to notice him.
Horner has been approached by Ferrari before but did not want to leave Red Bull. But, now he is a free agent, there's nothing stopping him from accepting this time.
There has been renewed criticism of Frederic Vasseur's leadership in Italy, given their failure to kick on from victories in Barcelona and as Silverstone before the summer break.
Is there blood in the water? Sharks will smell it if there is and, in F1 terms, Horner is a great white. He'll show no mercy if he gets the sniff of an opportunity.
I'd be very surprised if Ferrari gave up on Vasseur just yet, though anything is possible next year if Ferrari don't hit the ground running at the start of the new season. No doubt, Horner will be watching closely.
