Is this the moment Ex-F1 boss Christian Horner forgot he was being filmed?

F1 News & Gossip

Is this the moment Christian Horner forgot he was being filmed?

The ex-Red Bull F1 boss appears to have been caught out by the Netflix cameras

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Thursday 5 March 2026 09:55

Former Red Bull F1 team principal Christian Horner appears to have been caught out by the reliably sneaky Netflix cameras in an uncomfortable clip from the new series of Drive to Survive.

Ahead of this weekend's Australian Grand Prix which marks the first round of the F1 2026 championship, fans were treated once again to the annual pre-season warm up of Drive to Survive, the hit Netflix docuseries that offers behind the scenes access to some of the sport's biggest stars.

The latest instalment was released last month and followed the eventful F1 2025 championship that saw Horner abruptly sacked from his role at the helm of Red Bull F1 team that he had held for over 20 years.

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But due to the episodes which were filmed last year not being released until 2026, Horner has returned to the screens of fans around the world, although he was hardly painted in a flattering light.

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Horner caught out in awkward NYC gaffe

Naturally, the ex-Red Bull boss featured heavily in the new series as it unpacked Red Bull's fall from the top of the sport under the Brit's watch and his shock team exit.

But it wasn't a scene from Horner's exit episode that has perhaps done the most damage to his personal brand.

Instead, this moment came in episode three of season eight, titled The Number 1 Problem, where Horner can be seen stood on top of the Empire State building with fellow F1 personnel and drivers ahead of the New York premiere for the F1 movie.

In the clip which comes 32 minutes into the 47 minute episode, Horner is facing away from the cameras, mid-conversation with wife Geri Halliwell and Williams F1 driver Carlos Sainz.

But it appears the 52-year-old either wasn't aware or had perhaps forgotten he was well within earshot of the Netflix microphones when discussing his surroundings, something which came as a slight surprise considering how much the presence of the DTS setup in the sport has grown over the last seven years.

In conversation with Sainz and Halliwell, Horner bluntly said of New York: "It's a crazy city. It just stinks of weed, and it looks dirty."

Sainz, who looked particularly uncomfortable, responded to Horner's honest opinion with a nervous laugh after it became clear that he had spotted the boom mic looming over the trio's heads, exposing Horner's words.

Before the Brit could continue to damage his reputation any further, he pointed upwards, seemingly to the Netflix microphone, attempting to save face by adding: "And apart from that, it's a beautiful city."

Sainz was all for rapidly changing the course of the conversation, adding: "We love New York."

There are many moments in the new season of DTS when team members and some of the driver's close management remind them that Netflix are looming before they say something damning, so either Horner didn't bother to hide his scathing opinion of the Big Apple or he forgot he was being filmed at a particularly unfortunate time.

When does the 2026 F1 season start?

All 11 teams will be back in action when the 2026 season starts in Melbourne for the Australian Grand Prix, but Christian Horner will not be in the paddock following his removal as Red Bull team principal in 2025.

The first race of the year takes place on Sunday, March 8, at 3pm local time (AEDT), 4am GMT, and 11pm ET.

F1 Red Bull Christian Horner Carlos Sainz Drive to Survive