F1 News: Christian Horner has no intentions of joining Ferrari

Horner dismisses any Ferrari talks.

Christian Horner has spoken about the situation at Ferrari after Binotto's departure, explaining that his loyalty unequivocally remains with Red Bull. 

It is unsurprising that Horner is uninterested in a Ferrari move, given that he's spent almost two decades building Red Bull into the goliath of a Formula 1 team it has become. 

There was never any serious speculation linking Horner as a potential replacement for Mattia Binotto, but recent reports have suggested Ferrari approached the Red Bull boss last year. 

It is understood that Ferrari's executives have been sceptical of Binotto's leadership for some time, beginning the search for a replacement ahead of the 2022 season.

However, the Maranello squad failed to persuade any of its preferred candidates to join the team. 

Speaking to Sky Sports, Christian Horner dismissed any chance of a move to Ferrari:

"My commitment is very much with the Red Bull team. I've been there since the beginning. I obviously have a very close attachment."

Looking ahead to 2023, Christian Horner expects Red Bull to face tough competition next season, even despite Ferrari's managerial shakeup:

"I think both those guys [the Mercedes drivers] have had great seasons. I mean, George [Russell] fighting ahead of Lewis in his first year in the team is an impressive performance. 

"But Lewis is obviously still right there. You've got to assume they're going to come back fighting hard next year, and Ferrari as well will be looking to make progress. 

"So it's set to be a really tough season next year."

These comments are standard practice for an F1 team principal, as the objective for most teams is to lower expectations during the off-season. 

Red Bull is undoubtedly in a strong position to claim the championship next season, but Christian Horner will be eager to alleviate the pressure on his team to perform. 

With that said, Ferrari's current instability (coupled with the significant catching up required at Mercedes) gives Red Bull a strong chance of retaining the crown.