Fred Vasseur responds to Christian Horner Ferrari rumours

Fred Vasseur has responded to rumours that Christian Horner could replace him as Ferrari F1 team principal. 

Horner is currently promoting his upcoming book as he seeks a return to grand prix racing, where he has made clear that he would not settle for being a mere team principal and was seeking an ownership stake in a team after his exit from Red Bull in 2025.

However, speaking to The Times, Horner declared: "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 1."

Horner had been linked with Ferrari previously when he was at Red Bull, but the move did not materalise. However, given Ferrari's faltered title challenge in 2026, Italian media have begun to be critical once again of Vasseur, who assumed control of the team in 2023.

RacingNews365 understands that a plan is provisionally being drawn up for how Ferrari could manage Vasseur's exit at the end of the season, if the Frenchman decided to step down. 

Over the course of the Azerbaijan GP weekend, rumours in the paddock intensified around the possibility of Vasseur's exit at the end of the year, which grew in strength. 

Reacting to the rumours for the first time publicly, Vasseur was not impressed with the line of questioning, nor did he shut down the links to Horner completely. 

"We are not working in perfect serenity, as it is the question for me first and for everybody in the team, for the media; 50% of the questions are about this, and that is a bit of a frustrating situation," Vasseur told the media, including RacingNews365, after Ferrari finished fourth and sixth, behind Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in Azerbaijan. 

"We are fighting for the championship, and at the end of the day, we are speaking a lot about this and for the guys in the garage, it is not the best discussion we can have, but it is what it is.

"It is not in my hands, and Horner is looking for a job, everybody knows, everywhere, but what can I do? 

"Just try to do my best to move the team, to raise them and to be better than today, and then to spend time with you [the media], where each interview, it will be 25 times a day, we are coming back on this.

"What can I do? What can I say?"

When asked if he was fully committed, Vasseur replied: "Sure, this sport is my life, it is my business, and I try to do my best. I'm here to do my job, and I have the best job in the world, and we still have seven races to go."