Christian Horner given 'prime' target in push for F1 comeback

Johnny Herbert believes Christian Horner could be the answer to Ferrari's prayers, pinpointing the Italian team as the "prime" target for the former Red Bull boss.

The three-time grand prix winner highlighted how the 51-year-old was able to create a "winning formula" at the Milton Keynes-based squad, even if it has fallen into a state of decline ahead of his departure in July.

Ferrari, meanwhile, has struggled through the current F1 season. It is the only team of the leading four yet to record a grand prix victory, and the wave of optimism that accompanied Lewis Hamilton to Maranello over the winter has vanished.

Led by Fred Vasseur, the trident of the Frenchman, Charles Leclerc, and the seven-time F1 drivers' champion was expecting to take the Scuderia back to the summit.

However, its long wait for championship glory must now wait until at least 2026, having come perilously close to defeating McLaren last year.

With Mercedes and Red Bull showing renewed form of late, Ferrari is precariously close to finishing the campaign fourth in the constructors' standings.

Vasseur was handed a new contract before the summer break, something that put to bed widespread speculation that he could be replaced.

Prior to that, and also before Horner's dismissal from Red Bull, the Briton was touted as a potential replacement at the Prancing Horse.

Nonetheless, Herbert still feels that it is a change that could make sense for Ferrari, recently telling bettinglounge.co.uk: "Like anything, you need to be able to attract the right personnel to be able to give you a chance of having the fastest car.

"I am sure there was a push to try and get Adrian Newey to join, and maybe there should have been a bigger push for that to happen.

"I like Fred Vasseur a lot, but maybe you need to get someone who's been able to create a winning formula. And that potentially points to Christian Horner."

Ferrari has 'all the ingredients'

The aforementioned Adrian Newey ultimately joined Aston Martin when he quit Red Bull last year, and Horner has been phoning around teams looking for his next home in F1 after being relieved of his duties by the six-time constructors' champions.

Expanding on his comments, Herbert, who raced in the championship between 1989 and 2000, explained why he viewed the Italian team as the right option for Horner.

"The prime one has to be Ferrari," he added. "They're the ones that have all the ingredients they need. They just haven't been able to put them together.

"They've got the drivers, so there's no argument on that front. They have probably overcome a lot of those mistakes, pit stop mistakes, strategy mistakes that they used to make. 

"But the pure raw pace of the car is not there. So, you need someone, but they still haven't been able to attract the people that they need to be able to produce the car that is good on track."

Herbert highlighted how Horner was able to unleash Newey when he moved over from McLaren in 2006, a move that set Red Bull up for two eras of domination, first at the hands of Sebastian Vettel, and more recently with Max Verstappen.

"Adrian left McLaren and went to Red Bull, where he was given the freedom by Christian," he said. "He created the environment in which Newey was able to breathe and flourish. Once you’ve got Adrian breathing freely and easily, you get the best out of him. 

"And that's what Ferrari haven't quite been able to achieve yet. They haven't got that one person who is that leader.

"You need the management to be able to attract that right person and then give them that freedom to do what they want. 

"I know Fred signed a new contract recently, but if it really starts poorly again next year, and they’re still in the same position as they have been for the last couple of years, then something will have to be done."

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