Ferrari urged to consider shock Christian Horner move

Juan Pablo Montoya has urged Ferrari to consider a move for Christian Horner, believing that the Briton would be highly valuable.

Horner has been without a job in F1 since being dismissed by Red Bull Racing following last year's British Grand Prix, having served as its team principal for 20 years.

It marked the end of a relationship that brought significant success to the Milton Keynes-based outfit, which has since been led by Laurent Mekies.

A move to Ferrari was widely rumoured following his exit from Red Bull, although it was quickly shut down by the Scuderia, with both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc backing Fred Vasseur.

Despite this, Montoya is adamant that Horner would be a smart appointment for Ferrari, provided the 52-year-old were given time.

Asked if Horner could be useful for Ferrari, Montoya told Vision4Sport: "Honestly, yes. But Ferrari would have to understand it would be sh*t for two years and that this is a four year programme at least and they would have to be patient.

"They would have to be supportive as the team is rebuilding and everyone would have to appreciate that they will be heading somewhere strong together.

"You can’t have people running their mouths and talking bad about it. The media loves it when the bosses start running their mouth off. They need to be united. This is where Mercedes and McLaren do a mega job, by staying united and staying quiet and supporting their drivers.

"If Kimi Antonelli crashes and they go, ‘Oh, he’s young, he’s bright. Don’t worry about it, we’re happy that he crashed. It’s experience."

In regard to an F1 comeback, Alpine is the team with which Horner has been most closely linked, and it is also the outfit Montoya believes would make the most sense for him to return to.

"Alpine would be the best choice," added Montoya. "Alpine, has the Mercedes power unit. They’re based in England. They have everything. They’re close to where Red Bull is about 20 minutes, 30 minutes from Red Bull.

"I think if he could get involved with that team, it could do wonders for them."