Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has revealed that he was ‘flattered’ to have been offered the team principal role at Ferrari, following the departure of Mattia Binotto; however, the Briton never even contemplated making the move due to his “loyalty” to the Milton Keynes-based team.
Horner is just two years away from having been Red Bull’s team principal for 20 years, with the 49-year-old having been in charge of the team since they joined Formula 1 in 2005.
Since then, the outfit has become one of the most successful in the sport, having claimed six Drivers’ Championships and five Constructors’ Championships.
Given his impressive record, it’s no surprise that the Italians approached Horner before appointing Frederic Vasseur, even though, Horner had no interest in making the switch
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“To be honest with you no,” Horner told Auto Motor und Sport, when asked if he considered accepting Ferrari’s reported approach, according to Sky Sports.
“I’ve been here since the very beginning, I feel very much, you know, responsible for the team.
“It’s a great group of people that I work with and I’ve never been tempted away. I feel a loyalty to Red Bull and of course the people here.
“When you’re working with such a great team, why would you want to be anywhere else? It’s hugely flattering to have been asked by Ferrari, but they’re a great team and I’m sure they’re going to be very competitive.”
Following the appointment of Vasseur at Ferrari, some questioned if Binotto would be offered a role at Red Bull, given how successful he was as a technical officer.
Horner doesn’t see, though, how the Italian could move to the Austrians, with there not being a suitable role for him.
“I don’t see what role he would perform,” Horner said.
“Obviously it was tough for him last year with Ferrari because they did make a big step forward, but maybe there’s other opportunities for him further down the grid.”
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has also rejected the idea of hiring Binotto, given the issues himself and the former Ferrari boss have had over the years.
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“I think there was too much porcelain broken between us over the last few years that this would be possible,” Wolff told F1’s Beyond the Grid podcast.
“With the other teams I can’t say. Certainly, Mattia understands Formula One inside out and maybe he finds a role in a team – there are many out there that could be targets.
“Mattia and I had our moments, it’s not secret over the many years, but we consolidated that in 2022. We are in a much better place, but it was always clear that he was under tremendous pressure.”