Formula 1 legend Ricardo Patrese is a determined Ferrari who will not pursue Christian Horner as a potential team principal of the future.
Horner was fired by Red Bull last week in a shocking move due to team ownership, ending his reign as the team boss since the team’s opening in 2005.
Briton oversaw two dominant eras of Red Bull in Formula 1 – first with Sebastian Vettel in the early 2010s and most recently Max Verstappen.
However, concerns that there was too much autonomy that Horner ultimately led to his firing of his performance on the track, some famous departures.
Naturally, speculation about Horner’s next move has already begun.
A potential link-up with Alpine’s Flavio Briatore has been proposed.
Meanwhile, Ferrari has previously expressed interest in Horner – and under pressure with Fred Vasser, rumors have naturally resurfaced.
However, Patrese believes Ferrari will explicitly pilot it to protect its brand image.
“There’s been a lot of criticism about (Ferrari) because of the outcome, and they’re inconsistently up and down,” Patrese told Online Slots.
“But I think the air is getting better after the storm and tornado at Ferrari. At this point, everything is quiet around Vasusaa – speculation has stopped.”
“Horner is very good, but I think last year’s story will be a problem. He has a very good bloodline and can have 20 years of success. But a year later, people are still talking about that story.”
“I am a Christian friend and I sent him a message of support, and I think he is the principal of a very good team.
“But Ferrari wants to have an image — and there aren’t many distractions. That’s my opinion.”
Newey Departure Keys
Adrian Newey’s exit coincided with the Red Bull recession during the 2025 season.
The team won seven of the opening 10 races at Max Verstappen, but managed only two wins in the remaining 14 rounds.
Patrese attributes the Red Bull struggle to properly replace the legendary designer.
“You can’t blame Horner for everything. From my perspective, the problem is that Adrian Newey has left,” he said.
“If you bring in a replacement, they can’t be the same as Adrian. He’s an outstanding engineer. Over the past 30 years, his car has basically got it all.
“I don’t know why they lost him. I always understood that Adrian is very connected to Horner. I think they’re friends.”