Why Christian Horner would lead the paradigm shift the Maranello team needs

The Scuderia Ferrari is in urgent need of a new paradigm. Christian Horner could be the perfect figure to make this a reality. This is not merely a provocative suggestion prompted by one of the less glorious phases in the history of the Prancing Horse. First and foremost, it must be acknowledged that the chronic issues plaguing the Maranello team cannot be attributed solely to the work of Frederic Vasseur.

Ferrari has effectively ceased to win races consistently for almost twenty years. In a recent interview, former Sporting Director Maurizio Arrivabene highlighted that Ferrari’s persistent technological gap lies in very specific areas: aerodynamics and composites. This technological lag must be urgently addressed to keep up with competitors across the English Channel.

Since his appointment in Maranello, the current French team principal, Frederic Vasseur, has implemented a profound reorganization of the team, both in terms of human resources and operational processes. Ferrari’s growth, which began in earnest in 2023, came to a sudden halt this year when expectations rose sharply and world championship titles became official targets—a goal that, so far, has ended in failure.

Vasseur betrayed by his front line

The French manager was misled by the reassuring feedback from his front-line team regarding the quality of the SF-25 project. Even team principals with engineering backgrounds must place trust in their collaborators. The bitter reality is that the organizational structure designed by Frederic Vasseur is not functioning correctly.

While deficiencies in the 677 project were, rather inelegantly, blamed on engineer Enrico Cardile, the development of the SF-25 was entrusted to personnel personally chosen by the French team principal. The results have been obvious to everyone. Since the Belgian Grand Prix, where the new rear suspension was introduced, Ferrari has scored a meager 38 points. For too long, race weekends have been marked by disappointment and farce.

The SF-25 performs exceptionally well during FP1 sessions, running the baseline simulator setup, only to fall dramatically over the course of the weekend when adjustments are required to balance performance with compliance under the chequered flag. After each race weekend, the mood among the team is increasingly somber, and the explanations for failures are becoming less and less credible.

Nevertheless, the French engineer remains at the helm of Ferrari, reportedly due to strong insistence from the drivers. However, his position is becoming increasingly precarious in a world where contracts often have little real security—a sort of conditional extension tied to the success of the upcoming 678 project. Could changing the team principal resolve the situation? Yes, but only under specific conditions.

Ferrari needs a bridge between ownership and the team

It’s time to face reality. Ferrari’s top management shows little interest in the sporting fate of the racing division. Occasional visits to the paddock by John Elkann and Benedetto Vigna serve primarily as reminders of their institutional roles. In short, the owner’s eye is absent. So, who would be the ideal helmsman for the Italian side?

It may be uncomfortable to say, but an external figure from a managerial culture completely removed from Maranello is required. Not because excellence is lacking in Maranello, but because any reorganization must be free from the legacies of the past. Ferrari needs a winner at the helm, a charismatic figure who cannot be challenged by any opposing currents within the team.

What Ferrari urgently needs is a manager who views the team as their own creation, rather than the largest car company in the world. Only under such leadership would the absenteeism of ownership become irrelevant. Consider the Red Bull sporting program: Horner, rising from the ashes of Jaguar, built one of the most successful teams in F1 history, with energy drinks as its core business.

Christian Horner meticulously built the perfect team, brick by brick, despite the ownership being largely absent from sporting matters. Dietrich Mateschitz was a visionary investor, but Red Bull’s entry into Formula 1 was primarily a commercial branding exercise. Horner transformed a beverage brand into a winning F1 team, thanks to full authority and control over every division of the program.

Changing pace to eliminate excuses

The limited presence of Ferrari’s ownership must not become an excuse. Recently, the Bahrain sovereign wealth fund, Mumtalakat, together with CYVN, acquired 100% of McLaren Racing, yet the Woking team is experiencing one of the most successful periods in its long history. Times have changed, and a factory-based, Montezemolo-style hands-on presidency is now utopian.

A new paradigm is essential, along with operational solutions that place Ferrari in the hands of a manager who embodies the Scuderia itself, rather than becoming another lightning rod for disinterested owners. John Elkann must recognize that continuing on the current path will ensure Ferrari keeps losing, with no meaningful improvement in sight.