Horner is a distraction, says Ferrari's Vasseur amid 'job hunt' rumors

Ferrari Formula 1 team principal Frederic Vasseur stated that Christian Horner's perceived "job hunt" is a distraction for his team, amid ongoing speculation about Horner's future. Horner, who was dismissed as Red Bull team principal in July 2025, recently commented in an interview that Ferrari is the only Formula 1 team he would consider joining without a shareholding, calling it "the dream."

Vasseur voiced his frustration following the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where Charles Leclerc finished fourth and Lewis Hamilton placed sixth. "We are not working in the perfect serenity," Vasseur said. "For me, first, but for everybody in the team, for the media, for 50% of the questions [to be] about this, it's a bit of a frustrating situation."

He added, "We are fighting for P3 [third place] in the championship, and at the end of the day, we are all speaking a lot about this, and even for the guys in the garage, to discuss about this, it's the best discussion that we can have. But it is what it is, it's not in my hands. Mr Horner is looking for a job - that everybody knows - everywhere. But what can I do? Just try to do my best to push the team, to rise them to be motivated, focus on what is better today."

When asked if he was serious about Horner looking for a job, Vasseur confirmed he was "very serious." When pressed on whether he would consider working with Horner, Vasseur responded, "This you have to ask my assistant," a remark that appeared to reference the circumstances of Horner's departure from Red Bull.

Horner's exit from Red Bull followed accusations of sexual harassment and coercive behavior by a female employee. While the allegations were dismissed by Red Bull after two internal investigations, Horner was dismissed as chief executive officer and team principal after the 2025 British Grand Prix. Red Bull has not publicly detailed the reasons for his dismissal, though sources indicate a settlement of approximately 60 million euros was reached.

Ferrari began the season with aspirations of contending for the championship, particularly after introducing new chassis and engine regulations. Despite having a car acknowledged as strong in corners, its engine performance has lagged behind Mercedes and Red Bull, a deficit highlighted on Baku's long straights. Leclerc, who qualified second, lost positions during the race due to this power deficiency.

"With the situation that we are in the engine, we are losing one position per lap, and then we lose the path of the race," Vasseur explained. "Honestly we were surprised to be in the first row, because Baku is the most demanding in terms of engine, and was not expecting to do so. But we knew even starting from the first row that the opening laps, or in case of restarting safety car and so, it would be difficult. And it was."

Vasseur reaffirmed his commitment to his role at Ferrari, stating, "Motorsport is my life, it's my business. I'm trying to do my best. I'm there to do my job. I have the best job in the world, heh. But, it is like it is. We have still seven races to go, and I will push until the last corner."

Ferrari has not secured a world championship since 2008 and has infrequently fielded a fully competitive car in the years since. Horner, in his interview, described Ferrari as "the biggest brand in Formula 1" and "the dream," calling it "arguably the sleeping giant of Formula 1."