Christian Horner is said to be “in talks” with Ferrari about potentially becoming their next team principal.

The 51-year-old, who departed Red Bull in July with an astonishing £80million severance deal, has been holding discussions with the Italian racing giants as he plots his return to Formula One, according to the Daily Mail.

Multiple sources suggest Ferrari are actively pursuing Horner, though he is said to have been chatting with several teams about opportunities.

The talks come just months after his exit from Red Bull, where he’d been at the helm for 20 years.

Following his dismissal from Red Bull Racing in July, Christian Horner has embarked on a lucrative new career in public speaking | REUTERS

His track record speaks volumes about why teams are keen to bring him on board. During those two decades at Red Bull, Horner oversaw an extraordinary 14 world championships – eight Drivers’ titles split between Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen, plus six Constructors’ Championships.

Horner masterminded two dominant spells that saw both Vettel and Verstappen claim four consecutive championship titles. It’s this proven ability to build winning teams that makes him such a hot property in the hugely competitive world of F1.

Ferrari chief executive, Benedetto Vigna, made an unusual public appearance last week, slamming the side’s performance in F1 and demanding improvements.

Benedetto Vigna insisted Ferrari ‘have to improve’ in their Formula One performances

 | PA

“In Formula One, we have to improve,” he said. “We have to win. We owe it to our loyal fans all over the world.”

If he were to join the Scuderia, Horner would replace Fred Vasseur, despite the current team principle putting pen to paper on a new multi-year deal in the summer.

Ferrari’s current situation might explain why they’re interested in bringing Horner aboard. Team president John Elkann reportedly lacks confidence in Vasseur, who’s currently running the show at Maranello.

It has been another disappointing campaign for the Scuderia, with Charles Leclerc sitting fifth in the championship standings whilst Lewis Hamilton languishes in sixth place.

The seven-time world champion hasn’t even managed a podium finish since his high-profile switch from Mercedes at the start of the season.

Leclerc has fared slightly better with four podium finishes this season, but it’s still been an underwhelming year for Ferrari as they struggle with various on-track issues.