Christian Horner would only leave Red Bull and join Ferrari if Italian F1 giants gave him one thing

Christian Horner has been linked with a move away from Red Bull in recent weeks, with rumours suggesting that Ferrari would be interested in his services.

Horner became F1’s youngest team principal in history when Red Bull appointed him for their debut season in 2005. He was only 31 years old at the time, but he would prove to be pivotal in the Milton Keynes outfit’s incredible success in F1.

Poaching Adrian Newey from McLaren, Horner went on to secure Red Bull six constructors’ titles and eight drivers’ championships. Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen won four consecutive titles between 2010-2013 and 2021-2024 respectively.

However, tensions within the team, sparked by a power struggle between the two sides of the ownership and drama surrounding Horner at the start of 2024, have prompted several key figures to leave Red Bull.

Newey departed for Aston Martin, while Jonathan Wheatley is leading the project at Audi and Rob Marshall is having a great impact at McLaren. These damaging exits, which have seen Red Bull slip to fourth in the constructors’ championship, have prompted speculation about Horner’s future.

Christian Horner would only join Ferrari if they ‘give him the keys’ to Maranello

Ferrari casually approached Horner recently about the prospect of him becoming team principal. John Elkann is beginning to mount pressure on Fred Vasseur as he is reportedly unhappy with the team’s performance, despite moving to second after the Spanish GP.

The Red Bull boss did play down the rumours, but Horner ‘noticeably’ avoided questions about having talks with Ferrari. While discussions could well have happened between the two parties, journalist Roberto Chinchero sees the move as highly unlikely.

Speaking via Motorsport.com Italia, he says that the only way Horner would move to Ferrari is if the team ‘give him the keys to Maranello’ and give him complete freedom to run the team as he wishes.

“If Horner were to leave, they would lose an avalanche of people, because it would be a disaster for them. And among other things, they lost the person who obviously could have been the new one, there’s Jonathan Wheatley,” said Chinchero.

“Also with a very long tenure at Red Bull, and he would have been, let’s say, the most suitable figure, not to replace him completely, but to at least be able to plug the hole a bit and in a more or less effective way, because in any case, Wheatley knows Red Bull very well.

“But having lost him, I really can’t imagine it. I can only imagine Horner in Maranello if they give him the key to Maranello. If they give him the keys, they tell him: ‘You go and you’re x years old, this is the budget and you do whatever you want’.

“At that point, he probably might be tempted, but in a different scenario than this, I really can’t imagine Horner in Maranello.”

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Christian Horner is ‘flirting’ with other F1 rivals as Red Bull exit rumours continue to swirl

It is not surprising that Horner has pledged his loyalty to Red Bull. Having been with the team for over 20 years, he has achieved incredible success in Milton Keynes.

However, as the team begins to fall down the pecking order, he may be starting to consider his future. Things may not improve down the line for Red Bull as there are concerns that their new power unit, made in collaboration with Ford, will be competitive come the 2026 F1 regulations.

The 51-year-old may be realising his time is almost up at Red Bull, with not just Ferrari being linked with his services. Christian Horner is openly ‘flirting’ with Alpine, as Flavio Briatore searches for the successor to Oliver Oakes.

The Enstone outfit are in turmoil as they sit last in the standings, with Franco Colapinto struggling to perform after replacing Jack Doohan. Briatore has ambitions to win races in 2026, and with Horner’s track record at Red Bull, he could be just what Alpine need.