Christian Horner backed for bombshell move…but it’s not to Ferrari

What’s next for Christian Horner is the big question being asked in F1 circles, with Alpine emerging as the favourite with Karun Chandhok and Ted Kravitz ruling out a move to Ferrari.

After all, Lewis Hamilton and Horner would probably not want to sit around the same dinner table.

What’s next for Christian Horner in F1?

Horner was sacked by Red Bull in the wake of the British Grand Prix, with the announcement coming as a shock to most, even Horner.

“Yesterday,” he told Red Bull personnel at the Milton Keynes headquarters on Wednesday morning, “I was informed by Red Bull that operationally I would no longer be involved with the business or the team moving forward.

“I will still remain employed by the company, but, operationally the baton will be handed over.

“It came as a shock to myself.”

He didn’t go into detail about why he was sacked as, according to Martin Brundle, he wasn’t given a reason, just his marching papers.

More on Christian Horner’s Red Bull sacking

? Why Christian Horner? Why now? Shock exit may not guarantee Max Verstappen

? The hidden details in Christian Horner’s final media session as Red Bull F1 boss

The big question now, is what’s next for Horner?

Having turned Red Bull from an energy drink-owned Formula 1 team into a powerhouse with six Constructors’ and eight Drivers’ titles during his 20-year tenure, the 51-year-old has the pedigree and success that many teams want in their team principal.

Earlier this year, it emerged that Ferrari had made enquiries with chairman John Elkann said to be a big admirer of Horner’s.

The then-Red Bull team principal turned them down, saying: “It’s always flattering to be associated with other teams, but my commitment 100 per cent is with Red Bull. It always has been and certainly will be for the long term.”

But as the saying goes, life happens while you’re making plans. And life has hit Horner.

Is the Ferrari door shut to Christian Horner?

Whether Ferrari could now come knocking remains to be seen, but Chandhok reckons that door has closed.

“These rumours about Ferrari kept popping up over the last decade,” he said on The F1 Show podcast. “Christian to Ferrari.

“I do think a combination of Christian and Adrian Newey to Ferrari was a much more attractive package for Ferrari.

“I think Ferrari are going to try and build their own thing.”

Ted Kravitz believes there’s another huge factor standing in the way of Horner joining Ferrari; Lewis Hamilton.

Hamilton went wheel-to-wheel with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen for the F1 2021 World title that witnessed two ferocious crashes from the protagonists and a lot of off-track mudslinging from their team principals.

It’s muddy waters for Hamilton and Horner according to Kravitz.

“Let’s not forget, of course, Lewis Hamilton is at Ferrari for next couple of years, so there’s been a lot of water under that particular relationship bridge, hasn’t there, between Lewis Hamilton and Christian Horner,” said the pit lane reporter.

“You never know, you’ve got to work with everybody in this business, but I’m not quite sure if Lewis, having been so vociferous and backing Fred Vasseur over the last month or so, was to say, not only have Ferrari lost Vasseur but they’ve replaced him with Christian Horner as well.

“They haven’t exactly been constant dinner dates with each other, have they? I’m not sure that would work out and John Elkann [Ferrari chairman] might have reflected on that.

“Charles Leclerc doesn’t have any history with Christian Horner, but Lewis does a bit. Maybe that is something to consider.”

Alpine tipped as Christian Horner’s next F1 destination

It has the Sky pundits claiming Alpine would be the better option for the 51-year-old.

Making his argument, Chandhok says it not only means Horner wouldn’t have to move his family to Italy, but he’s also good friends with Alpine executive director Flavio Briatore.

“To me, I could see him landing at Alpine more than I could see him landing at Ferrari now,” said the former F1 driver.

“There’s a lot of other factors coming in, at this stage of Christian’s career and life: does he want to uproot everything? From where he lives, the commute to Enstone is pretty much going to be the same as the commute to Milton Keynes, so I can see that being a more likely destination.

“He and Flavio are both very old friends of Bernie Ecclestone. Bernie brought Christian to F1 when Red Bull bought the team. He was instrumental in Christian getting that job back in 2005.

“Flavio doesn’t want to be team principal. He doesn’t want to run the team day to day. He’s got Steve Nielsen there as the MD but I can imagine there’s a few wheels and cogs being turned in the background for Christian to at least have a role there.”

Since Oliver Oakes left Alpine as team principal after the Miami Grand Prix, the Enstone outfit has been without a team boss, Briatore the current de facto team principal.

Alpine recently named experienced sporting director Steve Nielsen as its managing director from September’s Italian Grand Prix to oversee the day-to-day running of the team.

“Alpine,” said Kravitz, “is another British-based team, Flavio is there, with a team that’s like Red Bull.

“In fact, most of Enstone and Milton Keynes kind of joined in each other. A lot of people in Enstone are ex-Red Bull and vice versa. That would be a much easier place for Horner to go.

“I think the Ferrari option, tempting as it might have been, especially a few months ago, knowing what was going to happen today, he might have thought, ‘oh, maybe I should have taken that’.

“But I think he already made his mind up not to do Ferrari. And if Alpine is an option, then that’s a much better way to go.”

Read next: David Croft offers ‘risk’ elimination theory over Christian Horner sacking