What does Christian Horner believe he needs to do to join Ferrari and replace Fred Vasseur

Horner’s departure comes with Red Bull sitting fourth in the 2025 constructors’ standings, trailing McLaren by 288 points after 12 rounds. Max Verstappen is also third in the drivers’ championship, 69 points behind Oscar Piastri.

According to Bild, Horner is working towards a full contract termination with Red Bull, which could open up opportunities elsewhere. Ferrari had already shown interest earlier this year when they considered him as a replacement for Fred Vasseur, who remains in place for now.

Ferrari may revisit their interest now that Horner is available. Vasseur’s contract runs out at the end of the 2025 season, and CEO John Elkann has a strong relationship with Horner that could help facilitate talks.

Bild also reports that Horner turned down Ferrari’s previous approach because he feels he needs to master Italian before taking on such a high-profile role.

Horner has concerns about relocating his young family to Maranello. His children, Olivia and Montague George Hector, are still quite young – 12 and eight – which makes him hesitant to move them away from their current environment.

Ferrari could take advantage of Red Bull’s decision to sack Christian Horner

There are even suggestions that Ferrari views Horner’s dismissal as a rare opportunity to bring him in, especially as they’re also dealing with their own challenges this season. While Vasseur’s job isn’t under immediate threat, the team remains the only one among the sport’s top four yet to record a win.

Elkann has been interested in Horner for some time, having first tried to hire him back in 2022 before eventually appointing Vasseur. But there are whispers around the paddock that Horner may have used his name being linked to Ferrari as leverage within Red Bull, where he was reportedly seen as a top candidate.

Those rumours might also shed light on reports suggesting Red Bull became uneasy after Ferrari made contact with Horner. The attention from Maranello was believed to be a distraction, and now it falls on Mekies to bring some stability back to the team.