Lewis Hamilton says he doesn’t know whether rumours that Christian Horner could take over the running of Ferrari are true amid reports the Italian team could oust newly re-signed team boss Frédéric Vasseur.
The Daily Mail reported this week that the former Red Bull Racing principal is in talks with Ferrari to take over the top job.
Horner has been connected to Maranello for several seasons and is known to get along with Ferrari chairman John Elkann, who reportedly sounded him out for the job before hiring Vasseur at the end of 2022.
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The Englishman denied the job interested him just weeks before he was unexpectedly sacked by Red Bull Racing in July.
Now released from the team and reportedly free to join a rival from early next year following his multimillion-dollar exit package, rumours have been revived that he could be bound for Italy.
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It would be a considerable change in dynamic for Ferrari, however, with both Hamilton and Charles Leclerc having thrown their weight behind Vasseur’s leadership. Hamilton in particular has spoken highly of Vasseur’s influence in his bombshell signing for the team this season.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s United States Grand Prix, Hamilton said the rumours were a baseless distraction as the team battled for form.
“I don’t know where the rumours have come from, so I can’t really shed much light on that,” he said.
“These things naturally aren’t helpful. I know everyone back at the factory is working incredibly hard, focused, and these sorts of rumours can sometimes be distracting.”
Asked specifically whether he knew of any plans for Horner, who won six constructors world titles with Red Bull Racing, to join Ferrari and whether it would be a good idea, he replied: “I don’t [know], and I’m not going to entertain rumours.”
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Lewis Hamilton says he doesn’t know whether rumours that Christian Horner could take over the running of Ferrari are true.Source: Getty Images
Vasseur’s principalship at Ferrari had been under a cloud earlier this year, when a flurry of media reports from Italy in June suggested he was set to be aced by the head of the brand’s endurance racing division.
It was a wild swing away from the Frenchman, who had been praised for taking Ferrari within just 14 points of what would have been an improbable constructors championship last year.
The team’s downturn in form this season — while last year’s chief rival, McLaren, blitzed the field on the way to a dominant title win last weekend — counted against him.
But Vasseur and his drivers came out swinging against the reports, and the boss was re-signed at the end of July on a multiyear deal that should see him secure until the end of 2027.
“His ability to lead under pressure, embrace innovation and pursue performance aligns fully with Ferrari’s values and long-term ambitions,” Ferrari said at the time.
“Under Fréd’s leadership Scuderia Ferrari is united, focused and committed to continuous improvement.
“The trust placed in him reflects the team’s confidence in its strategic direction and reinforces a shared determination to deliver the results that Ferrari’s fans, drivers and team members expect and deserve.”
Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton spoke out on claims that Christian Horner might take over the F1 team.Source: AFP
But Vasseur’s signature came at a time the team was optimistic upgrades brought to the races before the break would save the season, much as significant upgrades delivered Ferrari to the top of the pace rankings late last year.
That revival hasn’t materialised, leading to renewed swirling rumours about Vasseur’s position.
“It is a little bit distracting for us as a team,” Hamilton said. “For me it is really trying to keep the focus on the goal that’s in front of us and building on next year’s car, really continuing to build a foundation on this year so that next year we can have better execution, better overall performance … just having lots of meetings to make sure we’re sailing in the right direction.
“The team have made it clear where they stand in terms of re-signing Fred. Fred and I and the whole team are working really hard on the future of the team.”
It’s questionable whether Horner would be the right fit for Ferrari.
Ferrari’s French team principal Frederic Vasseur ahead of this weekend’s Grand Prix.Source: AFP
While Horner is known to want to return to the paddock after his unceremonious and unexpected ousting, he is believed to want to own a stake in a team and thereby take more control over his own destiny.
Part of his split with the Red Bull empire was reportedly the way he had amassed power of the brand’s Formula 1 operations, putting himself at the centre of what the Austrian business sees as an arm of the brand’s sporting investments.
Haas boss Ayao Komatsu had confirmed Horner had approached the American team recently but had been rebuffed, with Gene Haas intent on retaining full ownership of his squad. Aston Martin has also confirmed talks but has denied Horner will join the team.
“It looks as though Christian’s ringing up pretty much every team owner at the moment,” CEO Andy Cowell said.
Rumours — though they remain only that — have linked Horner most closely to Alpine, where Renault is believed to be open to selling a large stake in the team.
It’s difficult to imagine a scenario in which Horner gets that level of control at Ferrari, a publicly listed company that has historically treated its principals as employees rather than managers.
Horner, for example, had more power at Red Bull Racing, where he was team principal and CEO, than Vasseur does at Ferrari, where he answers to CEO Benedetto Vigna.
But Ferrari retains an allure not just for drivers but for anyone involved in motor racing. Perhaps Horner also feels that attraction despite the broader purpose he’s said to have for the next chapter of his career.