Lewis Hamilton predicted to leave Ferrari if Christian Horner joins

If Ferrari move to make Christian Horner their new team boss, it would mean giving up the services of seven-time World Champion Lewis Hamilton.

That is the warning issued by Formula 1 and IndyCar analyst Will Buxton, who cannot envisage a scenario where Hamilton and Horner work together at Ferrari.

Would Ferrari lose Lewis Hamilton for Christian Horner?

On Wednesday Red Bull dropped the bombshell that Christian Horner – their team principal since joining the grid in 2005 – had been released with immediate effect, Laurent Mekies confirmed as his replacement, the Frenchman transitioning from Racing Bulls team principal to Red Bull Racing CEO.

This shock development has left the question mark of what happens next for Horner, with rumours linking him to Ferrari and Alpine present before news of his Red Bull exit broke.

Current Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur has been facing pressure from the Italian press with reports questioning his future, while Alpine are looking for a long-term team boss with Flavio Briatore acting as de facto team principal following the sudden exit of Oli Oakes.

Buxton believes that if Horner is to return to Formula 1 in the future, it would more likely be with Alpine.

“I can’t imagine this is the last that we will see or hear of Christian Horner,” Buxton stated on the The Sports Agents podcast.

“There have been rumours already this year that he was being courted by Alpine, rumours linking him to Ferrari. I think that one’s more of a stretch than the Alpine one. He’s very close with Flavio Briatore. That one would seem to be more logical for me.”

But, if Ferrari want to bring in Horner, Buxton says they will not be able to keep Hamilton also.

More on Christian Horner’s Red Bull exit from PlanetF1.com

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While there is no tension of note between the pair, their F1 paths intertwined in the volatile Mercedes versus Red Bull battle over the 2021 titles.

“If they replaced Fred with Christian Horner, I don’t think Lewis would be a Ferrari driver for much longer!” Buxton concluded.

Another theory which has emerged is that Horner could look to return to F1 with Alpine as a shareholder in the team, comparable to how Toto Wolff is Mercedes team principal and one-third owner.

Horner has also seen F1 design guru Adrian Newey depart Red Bull and join Aston Martin in a deal which included shareholding in the team.

However, Sky F1’s David Croft questioned whether such a deal with Alpine would be financially doable for Horner.

The huge boom in popularity which Formula 1 has experienced over recent years means the value of a team has shot up, the Alpine squad worth around $1.5 billion as per Sportico.

And while Horner could pocket a pay-out worth over £50 million after his release by Red Bull, varying reports over his net worth peak at $50m [£40m].

“There might be other suitors for Alpine as well, so it’s not a done deal that Christian will be able to buy into Alpine,” Croft explained on Sky Sports News.

“And also, where does his backing come from? Because I don’t think, albeit a very wealthy man, he’s got the means that Toto Wolff has.”

Wolff – a successful investor who made his way into Formula 1 with Williams before buying into Mercedes – has a net worth of $1.8b, according to respected publication Forbes.

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