F1 insider claims Lewis Hamilton would leave Ferrari if Christian Horner replaces Fred Vasseur

F1 insider Will Buxton claimed that Lewis Hamilton would leave Ferrari if the Italian team were to sign Christian Horner as their team principal, replacing Frederic Vasseur. The latter has been part of the team since 2023, and Buxton suggested a potentially close relationship between him and the team's most recent driver signing.

Horner and Red Bull Racing parted ways earlier this week. He had worked as their team principal since the team's inception in 2005 and assisted in the major success that the team has experienced on the grid. However, recent tensions and RBR's on-track performance were some of the reported reasons for his firing.

Shortly after, social media was flooded with possibilities of Horner replacing Vasseur as the team principal at Ferrari. This was partially because of how the Italian squad has been performing this season. However, motorsports journalist Will Buxton suggested that this could be a potentially bad move.

Buxton stated that Hamilton, whom the team signed this season, wouldn't want to work with Horner. He also mentioned that Hamilton has previously worked with Vasseur during his early days of racing, and hence, he has developed a close relationship with him.

"But maybe they'll surprise me. And do I see Lewis Hamilton wanting to work with Christian? Not really," Buxton said, via Motorsport.com. "I mean, it should be said - and Jenny makes a fabulous point with that - one of the key reasons that Lewis moved to Ferrari, it wasn’t just the allure of racing for the Scuderia. It was to link up once again with Fred Vasseur, who ran Lewis to his junior series championships.

"Lewis adores that man and has absolute faith in Fred Vasseur. If they replaced Fred with Christian Horner, I don't think Lewis would be a Ferrari driver for much longer."

Lewis Hamilton hasn't had a pleasant time at Ferrari so far. The 40-year-old has mostly struggled with the car and finished in the midfield. He opened up about the car's drivability after his home race at Silverstone.

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Lewis Hamilton slams "most difficult car" after 2025 British GP

Lewis Hamilton pilots the Ferrari SF-25 during the 2025 F1 British GP at Silverstone (Getty Images)

Ferrari looked to be hitting the right spot at the 2025 F1 British Grand Prix during the practice and qualifying sessions. However, minor mistakes from both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc saw pole position slip out of their hands. Moreover, unpredictable weather made strategy calls difficult, which made it a very difficult race for the squad. While Hamilton only managed to pull in a P4, Leclerc finished out of points.

Speaking to the media after the race, Hamilton slammed the SF-25. He stated that it was the "most difficult car" he has ever had to drive around at Silverstone. However, there seemed to be some positive signs as he also mentioned some possible improvements.

"It's the most difficult car I've driven here in a few years. I just struggled to keep up. The tyres dropped off massively. The car was unbelievably tricky to drive. Ultimately, I learned a lot today. It's only my second time driving in the wet in this car. I can't even express to you how hard it is," Lewis Hamilton said.

"It's not a car that likes those conditions. But having lots of data to take from this… for me, it will be nice to sit down with the people that designed the car for this year, because there's elements of this car that no one else can look to," he added.

Despite their uncompetitive finishes, Ferrari has managed to keep second place in the Constructors' Championship. They are in constant battle with Mercedes for that spot. However, the Brackley-based outfit found it difficult to clinch the spot after the race after Kimi Antonelli was forced to retire.