Christian Horner destined to become Lewis Hamilton's new Ferrari F1 boss

Photo: © IMAGO

Ferrari crisis

Christian Horner destined to become Lewis Hamilton's new Ferrari F1 boss

Christian Horner has long been linked with an F1 return

Dan Ripley Global Editor

Professional F1 journalist and analyst

Sunday 16 November 2025 18:59

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Ever since the day Christian Horner was kicked out of Red Bull back in July, Formula 1 has never been far away from discussing his comeback.

With justification too - although this does rely on how strictly you apply the moral code and having looked outside recently, that's no easy task.

But whatever you think of the now 52-year-old (and a happy birthday to him) and how he conducts his personal life, when you are that good at assembling multiple world championship-winning teams, it's going to take a serious transgression for him to just fade away never to be spoken about in the circus of the paddock again.

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So here we are, Christian Horner has been linked with many teams this season, some bonkers suggestions include Alpine and Haas, but the one that just doesn't go away is the links with Ferrari. Why? Because it makes the most sense.

I won't go into much detail on how and why he is the man to fix Ferrari, mainly because a colleague has already done so here. Instead, here is why Christian Horner needs Lewis Hamilton and why Lewis Hamilton needs Christian Horner.

It's probably the most unlikely and unfitting of duos since England's consistent failure of combining Frank Lampard with Steven Gerrard.

Ferrari need Christian Horner to end their title winning drought

Why would Lewis Hamilton not like Christian Horner?

There's history between them for a start. Horner of Red Bull. The team boss whose FIA lobbying at the final race of Abu Dhabi 2021 helped to influence race director Michael Masi folding like a pack of cards to set up the bonkers last lap finale that saw Max Verstappen snatch away Lewis Hamilton's eighth world title in the cruellest of fashions.

Indirect or otherwise, Horner helped instigate a Hamilton nightmare that may never leave him.

Off-track optics plays a big role too, Horner's casual reputation outside of F1 plummeted following a Red Bull internal investigation after accusations of inappropriate behaviour towards a team employee. He may have been cleared of any wrongdoing, but accusations stick in people's consciousness.

Christian Horner – Red Bull F1 Record
Year	Position	Points
2005	7th	34*
2006	7th	16*
2007	5th	24*
2008	7th	29*
2009	2nd	153.5*
2010	1st	498
2011	1st	650
2012	1st	460
2013	1st	596
2014	2nd	405
2015	4th	187
2016	2nd	468
2017	3rd	368
2018	3rd	419
2019	3rd	417
2020	2nd	319
2021	2nd	585.5
2022	1st	759
2023	1st	860
2024	3rd	589

*Denotes 10 points for a win season

Hamilton is the opposite. F1's golden boy, helping disadvantaged folk get a head start in life, looking at the development of F1's nervous rookies, and keeping an eye on females in motorsport.

It's chalk and cheese. But it's time we acknowledged that if Ferrari want the jackpot of Lewis Hamilton getting back to his best and winning that eighth world title, a smart sporting decision needs to be made.

Horner will know exactly what Ferrari need to become major players again, and Hamilton will know this.

Even if there can be no personal relationship between Horner and Hamilton there can be a professional one. Ferrari, Hamilton and Horner is an unlikely trio - totally unthinkable two years ago - but it it is the perfect one for all of them.

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Written by

Dan Ripley - Global Editor

I've been a massive F1 fan since the mid 1990s and continue to study the history of the sport long before that. As an experienced motor sport reporter covering F1, MotoGP and the LeMans 24 Hour race, being part of GPFans has allowed me to work with a diverse team with all sorts of different backgrounds in watching the sport and given me a greater appreciation of F1.

View full biography

F1 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari Christian Horner