Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur has characterized Red Bull’s former leader Christian Horner as a nuisance to his squad, citing the British executive’s recent comments about joining the Italian marque.
Horner, who was removed from his role at Red Bull in July 2025, told the Times that Ferrari is the only Formula 1 team he would join without holding a stake in the business, calling the prospect “the dream.”
Speaking after the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where Charles Leclerc finished fourth and Lewis Hamilton took sixth, Vasseur expressed annoyance at the media attention surrounding the rumors.
“We are not working in perfect serenity,” Vasseur said. “For me, but for everybody in the team, for the media, for 50% of the questions about this, it’s a bit of a frustrating situation. We are fighting for third place in the championship, and at the end of the day, we are all speaking a lot about this.”
He added that while discussing the matter with garage staff might not be the most productive use of time, he acknowledged that Horner is openly seeking employment. When asked if he was joking, Vasseur confirmed he was serious. Regarding whether he would work with Horner, he deflectively stated, “This you have to ask my assistant.”
The comment appeared to reference the contentious circumstances of Horner’s departure. In July 2025, Red Bull terminated Horner’s contract as CEO and team principal following a tumultuous 18-month period triggered by sexual harassment and coercive behavior allegations made by a female employee in February 2024. Although internal investigations initially dismissed the claims, senior figures including chief technical officer Adrian Newey departed during the fallout, and the team experienced a decline in performance.
Red Bull has not publicly detailed the reasons for the dismissal, but sources indicate the two sides agreed to a settlement reportedly valued at 60 million euros (£51.5 million).
On the track, Ferrari entered the season as title hopefuls following new chassis and engine regulations. While their car demonstrated strong cornering ability early on, the engine has trailed Mercedes and Red Bull on power. This deficit was evident in Baku, where Leclerc lost positions on the straights despite qualifying second.
“With the situation that we are in the engine, we are losing one position per lap, and then we lose the path of the race,” Vasseur explained. He admitted surprise at starting on the front row given Baku’s engine demands, noting the difficulty of defending positions under safety car scenarios.
Despite these challenges, Vasseur reaffirmed his commitment to the team with seven races remaining. “Motorsport is my life, it’s my business. I’m there to do my job. I have the best job in the world,” he said. “We have still seven races to go, and I will push until the last corner.”
Ferrari has not won a world championship since 2008 and has struggled to field a fully competitive vehicle in recent years.
Ferrari still can’t fix that straight-line speed issue. Horner or not, they need more power to challenge Mercedes.
Sixty million euro settlement for Horner? That figure seems astronomical even for Red Bull’s budget.
Wait, did he just say his assistant? That was a sharp left turn away from answering the Horner question directly.
Vasseur is right to be frustrated. Focusing on rumors instead of the engine deficit won’t win races.