Christian Horner has already been linked with numerous Formula 1 roles since his departure from Red Bull, but a longstanding rumour linking him to Ferrari is wide of the mark.
That is, according to former F1 driver-turned pundit Martin Brundle, who believes that one fundadmental reason would render a potential switch to Maranello unlikely.
Horner was dramatically removed from his post as Team Principal and CEO of the Milton Keynes-based squad on Wednesday after 20 years.
Despite confirming he is remaining on the Red Bull payroll in an unspecified role, Horner has naturally been linked with other teams already.
Rumours of a potential switch to Ferrari have been circulating for some time, but Brundle outlined one key reason why a union between Horner and the Scuderia would be improbable.
“I think that Christian will be desperate to have a stake in a team going forward,” he told the Sky Sports F1 podcast.
“Some ownership rather than being a hired hand. Obviously, he won’t be able to do that at Ferrari, as entertaining as that job might be.”
Would Alpine be a more suitable destination?
Ferrari is also in the process of talking to its current boss Fred Vasseur about an extension of his contract, further shooing Horner’s name towards other potential new destinations.
One of these could be Alpine, according to Brundle’s fellow pundit Karun Chandhok.
The Enstone-based squad has a number of plus points for Horner, according to Chandhok, including a lack of need to change location, and a connection with its senior advisor Flavio Briatore.
Briatore and Horner are said to be on good terms, and with the team looking for a permanent boss – with the Italian currently filling the void on an interim basis – Horner may fit the bill nicely.
“There were lots of rumours that they had tried to hire him on various occasions; it didn’t happen,” Chandhok said.
“Fred Vasseur, lots of rumours about his future. Personally, I don’t think he’ll [Horner] will go there.
“Could he end up at Alpine? In terms of his personal life, he could carry on living in the UK.
“Does he want to uproot his children? Does he want to uproot his entire life? Probably not.
“Alpine is still based in that Oxfordshire valley, or motorsport valley here in the UK, and they’re looking for a team principal.
“They hired Steve Nielsen as an MD [managing director]; Christian’s old friend, Flavio Briatore, is in charge as a sort of executive consultant.
“That could be a future destination for Christian Horner, if he does choose to carry on in the pressure cooker of Formula 1.”
Discussion about this post