Sky Sports pundit causes fury after Christian Horner comments

A Sky Sports F1 pundit has set the record straight after their comments involving Christian Horner prompted fury.

Former F1 driver-turned Sky Sports Germany pundit, Ralf Schumacher, isn’t afraid to speak his mind, and following Horner’s exit from Red Bull, he suggested that the Brit should take up a team leadership role at Alpine.

The Enstone-based outfit is currently run by executive advisor Flavio Briatore, who is 75 years old and boasts decades worth of experience in F1.

However, in an interview with German publication Bild, Schumacher suggested that perhaps a different type of leader to Briatore was needed at the top of an F1 team.

"I think the time of figures like Flavio is over. You need technically skilled people at the top, someone like Horner," Schumacher said.

"Flavio could then help as an organiser and networker, as a face to the outside world."

Schumacher receives pushback on Horner and Briatore comments

Speaking on Sky Germany’s Backstage Pit Lane podcast, Schumacher revealed that Briatore was angered by his comments to Bild, and clarified what he meant by suggesting Briatore should change roles.

"I know Flavio Briatore isn’t talking to me at the moment, he’s really angry with me because he misunderstood, because I simply said, OK, people like Flavio and, incidentally, Christian Horner alone have no future as the model, or you have to drive the McLaren model."

In this case, Schumacher is referring to McLaren’s set up, with Zak Brown acting as their CEO who has overall responsibility for the business, while Andrea Stella oversees the technical and team principal duties at the team.

"One does marketing and takes care of the people, or also brings in the staff that Andrea Stella needs," Schumacher continued.

"However, this position has become so important that they must also concentrate fully on the future of the car, and that’s what I meant by that, and that also applies to Christian Horner, not just to Flavio Briatore, and it has nothing to do with age.

"I like Flavio, and of course, he may not be able to do this for another 100 years, but times have simply changed."

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