--- title: "Ferrari F1 Doesn’t Need Horner. It Needs Another Montezemolo" date: "2026-09-28" modified: "2026-09-28" authors: - name: "Jerry Perez" job_title: "Deputy Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/jerry-perez.md" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/ferrari-f1-doesnt-need-horner-it-needs-another-montezemolo" categories: - "F1" - "News" - "Racing" tags: - "Ferrari" --- # Ferrari F1 Doesn’t Need Horner. It Needs Another Montezemolo ![MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - OCTOBER 26: Scuderia Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur and Oracle Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner arrive in the paddock together during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Mexico at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on October 26, 2024 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Kym Illman/Getty Images)]() *\Kym Illman via Getty\* Christian Horner is a smart and powerful man, but more importantly, he knows how to play the game and get things done in Formula 1. After last week's [comments]()—in which he said he wasn't interested in a lowly team principal job without an ownership stake, unless it was Ferrari—rumors are swirling about the former Red Bull boss heading to Maranello. But could Horner save Ferrari and bring the Scuderia back to its winning ways? Or, after nearly two mediocre decades and a revolving door of team principals and talented title-winning drivers coming and going, is the rot within Ferrari just too deep for one man—or two (Lewis Hamilton)—to cure? Fred Vasseur has done a respectable job turning many aspects of the Scuderia around, and he'll always be remembered for luring a seven-time champion away from one of the most dominant teams in modern F1 to one that hadn't given its driver a title since 2007. That said, even with his decades of experience in F1 and its feeder series, Vasseur has failed to bring Ferrari back to its glory days. If you were expecting a return to the Michael Schumacher era when Hamilton was confirmed—and it would've been understandable—boy, have you been disappointed. And at the end of the day, it's not Vasseur's fault; at least not all of it. It's much deeper than that. It wasn't only Jean Todt who turned things around in the late '90s; it wasn't just Ross Brawn, Rory Byrne, Gino Rosato, Stefano Domenicali, Rubens Barrichello, or Schumacher. It was a collective effort under the watchful (and very intimidating) eye of Luca di Montezemolo. The stories I've heard from his subordinates at the time are just fascinating, and they leave your jaw on the floor. Quite the management style back then. ![(L to R) Piero Ferrari, son of Enzo Ferrari, John Elkan, nefiew of Enzo Ferrari, and Ferrari President Luca Cordero di Montezemolo chat in the pits of the Monza racetrack during the Italian Formula One Grand prix, 10 September 2006 in Monza. German Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher won the race ahead of Finnish McLaren-Mercedes driver Kimi Raikkonen and Polish BMW Sauber driver Robert Kubica. AFP PHOTO POOL PATRICK HERTZOG (Photo by PATRICK HERTZOG / POOL / AFP)]() ![(GERMANY OUT) 31.08.1947-Unternehmer, Manager, Sportfunktionär; ItalienPräsident von Ferrari und FiatPräsident Confindustria (Industiellenverband)und Ross Brawn (hinten l.), Technik-Direktor von Ferrari, beim Zeittraining Formel 1 Grand Prix von San Marino an der Rennstrecke (Photo by Melzer/ullstein bild via Getty Images)]() "The sport is my life, it's my business," Vasseur told *[Sky Sports]()*. "I'm trying to do my best. For sure, I'm there to do my job. I have the best job in the world. It is like it is. We still have seven races to go, and we will push to the last corner." Maybe Vasseur is feeling the pressure; maybe he's not too concerned with it after signing a multi-year contract extension last year. If di Montezemolo or even the infamous Sergio Marchionne were around, I think we'd hear and see a little more urgency from Vasseur and the squad as a whole. The Agnelli-appointed John Elkann and current Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna seem too focused on the road-car side of the business to realize Hamilton may follow the path of Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel. When was the last time either of them was on the pit wall, keeping a close eye on F1 operations? Can Horner bring Ferrari back to its glory days? Your guess is as good as mine. *Got a tip? Email us at tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Jerry is responsible for upholding The Drive's ethos as an audience-first, enthusiast-driven car blog that serves up industry-leading news, reviews, culture, and motorsport coverage. Overseeing a staff of writers and editors from his home base in Indianapolis, he helps curate the site's daily rundown, as well as its medium- and long-term content strategies. Jerry joined The Drive in 2018 as a writer and worked as news editor and managing editor before becoming the deputy in 2023. As a lifelong car enthusiast and racing fan, Jerry believes that all cars are cool, but the people behind the machines are even cooler. This belief often gives The Drive a slightly different focus from most other car sites, where we explore the humanity behind the machines. When he's not obsessing over the day's biggest stories or hanging out at a race track, Jerry can be found behind the wheel of a car, most likely sharing a laugh with his teenage son or daughter. ### Author social links [Instagram]()