Horner comments on Ferrari's 2025 dilemma: 'Which horse do you back?'
F1 News
Christian Horner believes that Lewis Hamilton still has an opportunity to surge up the grid with Ferrari in 2025. The Red Bull Racing team boss thinks that the seven-time world champion still has all the qualities needed to be a serious competitor in F1, especially with his new team, Ferrari. Still, the Italian team may have some issues managing him alongside Charles Leclerc.
Speaking on Talksport, The Brit was first asked about Red Bull's new driver lineup of Max Verstappen and Liam Lawson after Sergio Perez was recently dropped. Having two drivers at different points of their career may benefit Red Bull, Horner believes. Two top drivers scrapping away, like Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari, may be difficult to manage.
Horner reveals Ferrari's dilemma: 'Which horse do you back?'
"It's about communication, being upfront with the drivers," Horner began. "Max Verstappen is the most valuable asset in Formula 1. He's our lead driver. He goes first. If you can get close to him, fantastic. But the reality is that the expectation is for Max to win. A team like Ferrari, for example, next year, are going to have two drivers that are going to be taking points off each other. And which horse do you back? You have to back both of them, but that sometimes becomes divisive within a team. So different teams have different approaches to how they go about it."
'Hamilton is still a class competitor'
Horner was also asked about Hamilton's move to Ferrari. As Red Bull boss, Horner has fought with Hamilton and Mercedes throughout much of his F1 career. Still, he has respect for Red Bull's rival and sees an opportunity for him to possibly return to his former glory. "He may well have another resurgence in him. He's an emotional guy, and I think it really depends on how things kick off for him at Ferrari. It's a huge brand with a huge following. If the Tifosi get behind him and he gets off to a good start, then those qualities are still there. He's still a class competitor, and even though he's getting older in age, it depends if that hunger and motivation are going to be rejuvenated by a new challenge and new surroundings in Ferrari." Horner concluded.
Hamilton's highly anticipated move to Ferrari was announced in February of this year. The former Mercedes and McLaren driver will join Fred Vasseur's ambitious scarlet red team, who finished just 14 points behind McLaren in the 2024 constructors championship.
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