Christian Horner 'embarrassing' as F1 star blasts former Red Bull boss - 'It's simply a disgrace'

Christian Horner at the British Grand Prix — Photo: © IMAGO

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Christian Horner 'embarrassing' as F1 star blasts former Red Bull boss - 'It's simply a disgrace'

No holding back!

Chris Deeley Editor

Experienced sports writer covering F1 and other motorsports since 2023

Thursday 1 October 2026 08:45 Updated: 09:17

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Ralf Schumacher does not seem to be very impressed with Christian Horner's repeated attempts to find his way back into F1.

The former Red Bull team principal gave an interview to The Times which ran last week, ostensibly to promote his new and upcoming memoir 'Drive', but functionally also to promote himself as he looks for a way back into the sport where he made his name.

Horner called Ferrari 'the dream' during the interview, labelling them the lone team he wouldn't require a significant ownership stake to join as his options for a return to the sport on his own terms continue to seem scarce.

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“At this stage in my life, there’s only one team for which I would accept non-participation in ownership,” he said.

"Would I consider Ferrari? I mean, Ferrari is the biggest brand in Formula 1. It’s the dream. And arguably it’s the sleeping giant of Formula 1.”

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Schumacher: Horner comments 'a disgrace'

Those quotes loomed large over the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend, with Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur clearly unimpressed with how frequently the topic was being raised.

Schumacher, speaking on the Backstage Boxengasse podcast this week, strongly criticised Horner's overtures to Ferrari, saying: "To try so hard to curry favour is embarrassing enough. If he were truly interested, or if Ferrari were interested, they wouldn't do it this way.

"Therefore, it's simply a disgrace. I don't understand it. It's still funny, but also a shame. He was such a successful man, and now all he tells are stories like this."

Schumacher went on to call Ferrari a 'powder keg', with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc more focused on beating each other than working for the betterment of the team.

Schumacher suggests alternative name for Ferrari job

If the under-pressure Vasseur does lose his job, Schumacher does have one suggestion for a possible replacement.

"Andreas Seidl would be a great alternative for Ferrari in terms of character," he said.

"Andi is also someone who, by nature, would be able to tell the two drivers how he envisions things. He would connect with them in a different way. He would be a good choice for Ferrari if Fred Vasseur is even up for discussion."

That's not the first time that Schumacher has suggested Seidl - who worked for BMW in F1 while his fellow countryman was at the BMW Williams team - for the role, after saying something similar in the summer of 2025.

Ferrari defend Vasseur in surprise media call

The swirling rumours about the future of Vasseur and those Horner comments led Ferrari to take the highly unusual step of calling a media briefing on Tuesday.

Maria Conti, Ferrari's chief communications officer, scheduled the call to reaffirm the team's commitment to Vasseur, insisting that the 58-year-old Frenchman retains the full support of the Scuderia's top brass.

"In the recent days, there has been increasing speculation surrounding Scuderia Ferrari HP, and particularly dedicated to its leadership," Conti said.

"Ferrari's position is clear, has not changed, and Ferrari has made its choices already, and we have full confidence in Fred Vasseur and in his team, and we continue to do so."

Conti continued, stating that the media call was not simply in response to the Horner speculation, but to the increased scrutiny that Vasseur has been under in recent weeks.

"Ferrari has always attracted extraordinary interest, and it is only natural that many professionals aspire to be part of it.

"It is a reflection of the strength of what Ferrari really represents. So this is why we really want to avoid and we do not intend to fuel speculation or comment on assumptions coming from outside the company."

Ferrari comms chief: Vasseur defence not just Horner-driven

Conti also insisted that the decision to address the media was not just because of the former Red Bull man's latest comments, saying: "It is not just related to the story in The Times of Mr Horner.

"But in general, there is a lot of speculation about Fred. So again, we have confidence in Fred Vasseur and his team, and we continue to do so. And the position is clear, but not just now, we already confirmed in the past.

"Our focus now is on the work. We would like to be focused on the future. And this is always the Ferrari spirit and the spirit of our founder - humility and complete focus on the future.

"We are doing that today because we would like to avoid the next weekend in Malaysia being focused only on this kind of gossip and speculation. We would like to be focused on the race, on the performance, on the team, on Fred."

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Chris Deeley - Editor

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F1 Ferrari Christian Horner Ralf Schumacher Andreas Seidl