Christian Horner Takes Swipe at Guenther Steiner: ‘He never achieved an F1 podium’

Horner Comments on Steiner’s Unlikely Rise to Stardom

Former Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner has delivered a playful critique regarding Guenther Steiner’s rapid rise to global fame through Netflix’s docuseries Drive to Survive, contrasting the Italian’s immense popularity with his competitive track record in Formula 1. Horner, who oversaw a combined 14 F1 world championships during his tenure, pointed out the unique storytelling nature of the television series in transforming paddock figures into household names.

Speaking to Autosport, Horner explained the production reality behind the documentary phenomenon: “These guys are making a TV show, so they take hours and hours and hours of footage and it’s all about how you edit something.”

He continued: “You can either make somebody look like the villain or the hero or vice versa. That show has been incredibly successful because it suddenly lifted the lid on some of the rivalries, the personalities, the driver’s personalities, some of the characters.”

“Guenther Steiner has made a career off the back of it…I mean, I don’t think he ever achieved a podium in Formula 1!” Horner added. “But good for him. He is a character, quite a scary character when he worked for us, but yeah, it’s brought a whole new fan base into the sport, which has been fantastic.”

From Haas Struggles to Pop Culture Recognition

Steiner served as team principal for the American outfit Haas from 2014 until his departure at the end of 2023. Throughout that decade-long span, the minnow squad contended with difficult campaigns, enduring two last-place finishes in the constructors’ standings and reaching a peak result of fifth place overall in 2018. Outside of Kevin Magnussen’s surprise pole position during a rain-affected qualifying session at the 2022 Brazilian Grand Prix, breakthrough highlights on the circuit were rare.

Despite those on-track limitations, Steiner became an unexpected global sensation on Drive to Survive, captivating audiences with his blunt communication style and colorful language. Capitalizing on this pop-culture status, Steiner authored a book titled Surviving to Drive, establishing a high-profile media profile that arguably eclipsed his competitive results as a team boss.

Early Days at Red Bull: The RB2 Era

Before becoming the public face of Haas, Steiner built an extensive motorsport resume. Starting as a World Rally Championship mechanic, he moved to Formula 1 in 2001 as managing director of Jaguar, leaving at the conclusion of 2002. When Red Bull took over Jaguar for its maiden 2005 season, Steiner joined as technical operations director, crossing paths with Horner.

Reflecting on that initial collaboration, Horner recalled: “When I arrived at Red Bull, they said we’ve employed this guy that Niki Lauda had recommended, he used to be at Jaguar, his name’s Guenther Steiner.”

“I’d never heard of him and when I looked him up on the internet he looked fairly scary, that was my first impression, and then Guenther turned up,” Horner noted. “He was then responsible for the RB2, the Ferrari-powered car that overheated in about three degrees at Silverstone on a shakedown.”

Steiner’s frontline role on the F1 technical side soon evolved when renowned car designer Adrian Newey was brought into the organization. As Horner detailed: “Adrian Newey turned up shortly afterwards and said ‘well, we’ll forget about that car’. Then Guenther went off within the Red Bull world to work on the NASCAR project that was just getting going and that was his sort of transition into the American world.” Steiner subsequently served as technical director for Red Bull’s NASCAR outfit until 2008.

Why This Matters

Horner’s remarks spotlight the transformative power of modern sports entertainment media, particularly Netflix’s influence on the commercial visibility of Formula 1 personnel. While traditional motorsport prestige has historically been tied to trophies, race wins, and championship titles, Drive to Survive demonstrated that personality-driven narratives can cultivate significant commercial value independently of podium success.

The transition also underlines Steiner’s longevity across diverse motorsport disciplines. Following his exit from Formula 1 management, the 61-year-old executive shifted his attention to motorcycle racing. Steiner currently serves as CEO of Tech3—the sole KTM satellite team on the MotoGP grid—which sits in eighth position in the 2026 standings with 139 points.

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