Ferrari reportedly made a quiet approach to lure Red Bull team boss Christian Horner just a few weeks ago, according to Bild, Europe's largest-circulation newspaper.
"This is no surprise," journalists Michel Milewski and Matthias Marburg wrote, "given that the storied racing team is in crisis."
The reference is to Ferrari, currently under the leadership of Frederic Vasseur, not Red Bull — where Horner only narrowly retained his position following a scandal and internal power struggle in 2024.
Ferrari entered the season with optimism, buoyed by the arrival of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. But so far in 2025, both Hamilton and the new car have underdelivered.
Charles Leclerc offered some relief with a strong performance in Monaco, finishing second and also qualifying just behind pole.
"My expectations for the season haven't changed with the weekend in Monaco," Vasseur said.
"I think we didn't have the best first part of the championship, although we're already a third of the way through. We performed worse than expected. That's very clear. We have to be honest with ourselves."
Influential Italian journalist Luigi Perna suggested in La Gazzetta dello Sport that the upcoming Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona — the first event under new flexible front wing restrictions — could be pivotal.
"If the scenario doesn't change there," he wrote, "Ferrari will be better off diverting all its efforts to 2026.
"Vasseur is at a crossroads. He has not hidden his confidence in the fact that the new rules can change the hierarchies on the field."
While publicly Vasseur's job appears safe, Bild claims internal dissatisfaction is growing.
"According to Bild, the Scuderia casually inquired with Horner a few weeks ago," the article states.
"Although Charles Leclerc managed to finish second in Monaco, the team's performance fluctuations have been massive. It's a fact that doesn't make the company's bosses around John Elkann happy, and at least makes them ponder the continued employment of Fred Vasseur."
The paper added that Horner is not interested.
"The bad news for Ferrari," they wrote, "is that Horner doesn't want to and won't leave Red Bull. The Briton can't imagine working for any other team.
"This is consistent with the fact that he already turned down a Ferrari offer several years ago."
