Ferrari look to hire Red Bull engineers amid tension at Christian Horner’s team

Ferrari is reportedly considering three key Red Bull engineers as the Scuderia seeks to capitalise on the current unrest at the F1 world champions.

The saga involving Christian Horner and a female colleague accusing him of "inappropriate behaviour" – though the team principal was cleared after an internal probe – has revealed numerous tensions within the Red Bull camp.

Another tumultuous weekend in Saudi Arabia saw star driver Max Verstappen threaten to leave if adviser Helmut Marko was forced out. Red Bull GmbH chief Oliver Mintzlaff played down those rumours, with all involved keen to move on despite the continued protests of Max’s father, Jos.

However, Ferrari, trailing far behind Red Bull alongside the rest of the grid this season, is looking to exploit the situation by recruiting key aerodynamicists and performance engineers for 2025, when Lewis Hamilton joins the team from Mercedes.

Italian publication Gazzetta Dello Sport reports that Ferrari is considering approaching key personnel from Red Bull's aerodynamic development team, including Alessandro Germani, who leads the department, Ben Waterhouse, head of performance, and David Morgan, the on-track aerodynamic officer.

The report suggests that Ferrari would contemplate a significant move for Adrian Newey if the renowned design guru expresses a desire to depart from Red Bull, which could potentially alter the landscape of Formula 1.

During Saturday's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Ferrari chairman John Elkann was observed in Jeddah, where he witnessed the impressive debut performance of British 18-year-old Ollie Bearman, who secured seventh place. Elkann, in conjunction with team principal Fred Vasseur, played a pivotal role in securing Lewis Hamilton's signing for the Italian team under a multi-year contract. 

Elkann was also seen in discussions with Mintzlaff, likely pertaining to negotiations regarding the upcoming Concorde Agreement, which dictates financial and commercial regulations agreed upon by all 10 F1 teams.

Regarding Christian Horner, the individual who has accused him reportedly has until the end of Tuesday to lodge an appeal against the findings of the month-long investigation into Horner's behaviour. The female complainant was placed on suspension with full pay by Red Bull Racing last Thursday.

Furthermore, Red Bull dismissed rumours on Sunday suggesting that the parent company was seeking to remove Horner from his position before the Australian Grand Prix next week. It is anticipated that the 50-year-old will fulfil his duties in Melbourne as Red Bull strives to maintain its flawless start to the season.