FERRARI COULD MAKE UNTHINKABLE MOVE, REPLACE VASSEUR WITH HORNER
Ferrari is considering a shock move for former Red Bull boss Christian Horner to replace Fred Vasseur in 2026. Reports suggest they may even establish a UK technical centre to lure the Briton.
As the Briton looks to return to the paddock in 2026, Ferrari is considering Christian Horner, the fired Red Bull team principal, as a possible replacement for Fred Vasseur.
Following the completion of his departure from Red Bull in September, Horner is now formally free to begin talks with any suitors. Although they had to negotiate the termination of his contract through 2030, the Milton Keynes team relieved the 51-year-old of his operational responsibilities in June.
After 20 years leading the staff for the Austrian energy drink company, he will now take a gardening leave of absence. However, as part of his reduced severance payout, Red Bull consented to allow Horner to rejoin Formula One in early 2026. John Elkann, the chairman of Ferrari, has therefore taken notice of Horner.
According to reports, Elkann is thinking about hiring Horner even though Ferrari signed Vasseur to a new deal through 2027 this July. Ferrari has failed to win a Grand Prix this season, and the Scuderia's ongoing problems in the 2025 season have put the Frenchman in a precarious position once more.
To persuade Christian Horner to come, Ferrari might set up a technology centre in the UK.
However, it is far from likely that the Leamington Spa native would consent to take over at Maranello, even though Ferrari is seeking Horner because Elkann has lost faith in Vasseur. According to a report by Funo Analisi Tecnica, Ferrari would consider going to extreme measures to entice Horner.
The Briton's unwillingness to leave England, which his family, including wife Geri Halliwell, would not be too happy about, is one of the main obstacles in Ferrari's route to hiring Horner. In order to accommodate Horner, Ferrari might think about setting up a new technical centre in the UK.
Since 1997, Ferrari has not maintained a facility in the UK, and at that time, it did not benefit much from it. However, technological advancements over the last three decades could make it a more lucrative venture, particularly if Elkann can secure his long-term aim in the UK.
With a base in the so-called Motorsport Valley, Horner may not be the first newcomer Ferrari signs. A UK site might help the Scuderia expand its ranks beyond the leader at the very top, although Ferrari may find it difficult to persuade some employees to relocate to Italy.
For a UK plant to be successful for Ferrari, Elkann would need to make a large financial investment. However, the chairman of Scuderia can counter that Horner's leadership might help boost the brand's worth at the base. But it probably would not be a success story right away.
In 1997, Ferrari closed its last design centre in England.
In the 1980s, Ferrari first considered setting up a technological centre in England, with a base in Guildford, to recruit John Barnard, who was hesitant to move to Italy. Enzo Ferrari also believed in it, but it was difficult to communicate between Guildford and Maranello.
Under the direction of Luca di Montezemolo, the Scuderia also attempted to establish a facility in the UK in 1993, with a design and development base situated near Shalford. However, Ferrari returned to operating every aspect of their team out of Maranello in 1997, ending that base's existence.
Horner may be able to make a UK site work for Ferrari more than the Scuderia's other efforts, nearly thirty years later. However, the likelihood that it is the final straw Elkann needs to persuade Horner to take Vasseur's post at Ferrari is slim and costly.
MAX VERSTAPPEN CLAIMS POLE IN MERCEDES-AMG GT3 AMID F1 RULE CONTROVERSY
Max Verstappen lands pole in a Mercedes-AMG GT3 at the Nurburgring while slamming F1’s "Mario Kart" battery regulations.
Max Verstappen just landed pole position in a Mercedes – and he didn’t miss the chance to take another shot at Formula 1's new rules. He’s using the gap between the Chinese and Japanese Grands Prix to race in the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie, getting ready for the 24-hour event in May.
He’s in a Mercedes-AMG GT3 from Winward, running under the Verstappen Racing banner, teaming up with Daniel Juncadella and Jules Gounon for this four-hour race. Their qualifying run? Verstappen's squad nailed the fastest lap: 7:51.751 around the legendary circuit.
Honestly, this weekend at the Nurburgring is a breath of fresh air for Verstappen. He’s been vocal about his dislike for F1's latest regulations, which split the power pretty much evenly between traditional engines and electric systems.
These rules are some of the biggest changes F1 has ever had, forcing drivers to constantly watch their battery levels and use a boost button for overtakes. Verstappen didn’t hide his feelings, saying about the NLS race: “At least you can drive flat out without looking after the battery.” He’s been slamming F1’s direction for months, and after retiring late in China, he was running sixth; he doubled down, calling the system “Mario Kart". It’s not racing, he said. “We’re boosting past. Then you run out of battery, and they boost back past you again. For me, it’s just a joke.”
Verstappen made it clear: it’s not about sour grapes or losing. “I’d say the same if I were winning because I care about the racing product. It’s fundamentally flawed. It’s painful. It’ll ruin the sport eventually, and it’ll come back to bite them.”
An old press conference of Verstappen warning about the 2026 regulations popped up again online. He kept going: “You could have seen this coming ages ago. They should have listened in 2023. Maybe it’s a lesson, so this doesn’t happen again. You’ve got to be careful with how you say things, but we’re talking. They know where we stand as drivers. Some love it because they’re winning, and sure, if you have an advantage, why give it up?
“But talk to most drivers; this isn’t what we want, and I don’t think real fans want it either. It’s political. Some have the edge and want to keep it. I get that; I’m not stupid. But it’s just not good for the sport. Hopefully, we'll get rid of it soon.”
DISCOVER WHY JONATHAN WHEATLEY BELIEVES RED BULL’S STRUGGLES FUEL MAX VERSTAPPEN’S OUTRAGE
Jonathan Wheatley claims Max Verstappen's criticism of the "anti-racing" 2026 regulations reflects Red Bull's early struggles.
Jonathan Wheatley thinks Max Verstappen’s harsh words about Formula 1’s 2026 rules say as much about Red Bull’s current struggles as they do about the new regulations.
Verstappen hasn’t held back at all; he’s been one of the loudest voices against F1’s new energy-harvesting era, calling the rules “anti-racing” during pre-season testing.
Just two races in, Verstappen’s only got eight points. After Shanghai, he walked away without scoring anything. He finished the sprint race in ninth just outside the points, mostly because he lost ground when his car bogged down from a lack of battery power right off the line.
Things didn’t get better in the main race. Verstappen tried to claw his way back, but he had to park his RB22 because of an ERS cooling problem.
He didn’t sugarcoat his feelings. Verstappen slammed the new energy management rules, energy harvesting, and super clipping, all of it, as “fundamentally flawed". He called the racing itself a "joke". For him, the whole thing’s starting to feel more like Mario Kart than real racing.
“I swapped the simulator for my Nintendo Switch and have been practising Mario Kart, actually!” Verstappen joked when someone asked if sim time gives drivers an advantage now. “Honestly, I’m getting good at finding the mushrooms. The blue shell’s a bit tougher, but I’m working on it. No rockets yet, but they’re coming.”
He also warned F1’s leaders that these new rules could “eventually ruin the sport; it’ll come back to bite them.”
Not everyone’s moved by Verstappen’s complaints. Juan Pablo Montoya went as far as telling him, "There's the door.” Guenther Steiner, the former Haas boss, said it came off as nothing more than “toys out of the pram when it doesn’t go his way.”
Meanwhile, things look very different for Charles Leclerc. He’s been fighting for podiums in Australia and China and is loving the new era.
“I really enjoyed it,” Leclerc said. “Yeah, sometimes the overtakes feel a little fake if someone messes up their battery management; you get this huge speed difference. But we’re all learning when to push and when to risk it, and that’s creating some great overtaking spots. Today was a perfect example.”
Wheatley, watching all this, figures opinions on the new rules depend on how well one's doing. If you ask the guys up front, Ferrari and Mercedes, they love the new racing. The teams chasing them? Not so much.
He told reporters after the Chinese Grand Prix, “Talk to the Ferrari drivers; they’ll say it was a brilliant day. If you’re not winning, you just want to be able to race cleanly. Honestly, I didn’t see anything fake; every driver was fighting hard and fair. The midfield battles are fantastic; there’s a lot to like.”
And as for Verstappen’s comments? Wheatley gets it. When you’re struggling, it’s easy to point fingers.
