Christian Horner’s long journey with Red Bull came to an end this summer after 20 years with the team. He had been part of Red Bull since its early days in Formula 1 and helped turn it into one of the most successful teams in the sport’s history. But in July, his time there ended when he was removed from his job as CEO and team principal.

A month later, in August, Red Bull officially cut him from their company records. Soon after, Horner agreed to a payoff worth 52 million pounds. Reports said that he even gave up part of this money so that he could shorten his gardening leave. This meant he would be free to talk with other Formula 1 teams sooner rather than later.

Since his departure, Horner has not stayed quiet. According to Aston Martin’s team boss Andy Cowell, “Horner has been ringing up pretty much every team owner.” This shows he is clearly eager to get back into Formula 1 and find a new challenge. Among all the possible teams, Ferrari seems to be the one most people are talking about. Former F1 driver Johnny Herbert believes Horner would be a perfect fit for the Italian team. Herbert told bettinglounge.co.uk: “The prime one has to be Ferrari. They’re the ones that have all the ingredients they need. They just haven’t been able to put them together.”

Ferrari’s current season has been full of frustration. Even with the arrival of Lewis Hamilton, who was expected to bring hope and experience, the team has not managed to win a single race. While Red Bull and Mercedes have continued to improve, Ferrari has slipped back and now risks finishing fourth in the Constructors’ Championship. Team boss Fred Vasseur was given a new contract before the summer break, but there are still questions about whether he is the right person to lead Ferrari back to the top. The Italian team has the talent, the resources, and two strong drivers in Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, but they have struggled to turn potential into results

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Johnny Herbert thinks Horner could be the one to make a difference. He says that Horner has a special talent for creating a winning environment and bringing people together. “Like anything, you need to be able to attract the right personnel to give you a chance of having the fastest car,” Herbert explained. “I am sure there was a push to try and get Adrian Newey to join, and maybe there should have been a bigger push for that to happen. I like Fred Vasseur a lot, but maybe you need to get someone who’s been able to create a winning formula. And that potentially points to Christian Horner.”

Herbert also talked about how Horner helped Red Bull become a dominant force by giving legendary car designer Adrian Newey the freedom to do his best work. “Adrian left McLaren and went to Red Bull, where he was given the freedom by Christian,” Herbert said. “He created the environment in which Newey was able to breathe and flourish. Once you’ve got Adrian breathing freely and easily, you get the best out of him.”

He believes that is exactly what Ferrari is missing, a leader who can unite the team and create an atmosphere of trust and creativity. “They’ve got the drivers, so there’s no argument there,” Herbert continued. “They have probably overcome a lot of their past mistakes, like bad pit stops and poor strategy. But the pure raw pace of the car is not there. So, you need someone who can bring in the right people and give them the freedom to do their jobs properly.”

Many believe that if Ferrari struggles again next year, change will be unavoidable. “I know Fred signed a new contract recently,” Herbert said, “but if it really starts poorly again next year, and they’re still in the same position as they have been for the last couple of years, then something will have to be done.” In that case, Horner could be the man Ferrari turns to. With his experience, success, and proven ability to build champions, he might be the one to bring the famous red team back to glory.