Christian Horner opens up about Ferrari: "It's the dream, the sleeping giant of Formula 1"

There's no need for an official announcement when a self-nomination is enough: Christian Horner looks at Ferrari and doesn't hide: "It's the biggest brand in Formula 1. It's the dream. And, probably, it's the sleeping giant of Formula 1." The former team principal and CEO of Red Bull, interviewed by the British newspaper The Times in his villa in Oxfordshire, thus opens the door wide to the possibility of returning to the Circus with the Maranello team.

At 52, after 21 seasons spent on the Red Bull pit wall and a farewell to the team in summer 2025, Horner admits he still has a date with Formula 1. "I still feel like there's another dance," he says. And Ferrari would be the only exception to his new rule: not to return as a simple paid executive. "I was an employee. I spent 21 years sitting on the pit wall. I don't need to go back there." But for Ferrari, he adds, he would also agree to give up his shareholding.

The message comes as Horner's name continues to circulate in the paddock: according to the Times he has been linked to various projects, from Alpine to Aston Martin. He does not confirm an imminent assignment, but does not hide his hunger for a new challenge. "The fact that, 14 months after leaving the sport, people continue to talk about me shows that there is still a question. Maybe I wasn't so unpopular after all," he said.

In the meantime, however, his image remains controversial.

Booed at the O2 Arena in London, Horner says he was then surrounded by fans asking him for selfies. At Silverstone, however, he expected the worst and was asked: "When are you coming back?". A contradiction that he himself summarizes thus: "You immediately realize that you are part of a pantomime". Now, away from F1, he has time for family, horses and a life away from the pits. But he doesn't seem willing to stay there. "You only get one chance at life. You can try or you can just move on," he says. And Ferrari red, at least in words, has never seemed so close.