Christian Horner F1 'intimidation' revealed by Sky Sports star

Christian Horner

Christian Horner 'intimidation' revealed by Sky Sports star

Christian Horner was known to 'tell off' interviewers in the F1 paddock

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Sunday 26 April 2026 19:44

A Sky Sports pundit has revealed the F1 stars that 'intimidate' them the most with their answer including axed Red Bull boss Christian Horner.

During his tenure as team principal, Horner was a staunch defender of Red Bull and star driver Max Verstappen, with his no-nonsense attitude also spilling into a famous rivalry with Mercedes chief Toto Wolff.

While Horner hasn't been in the paddock since the summer of 2025, Sky Sports Italia pundit and racing driver Vicky Piria recalled his unpredictable nature when being interviewed.

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The 32-year-old replaced Federica Masolin as a Sky Sports presenter in 2024, taking on broadcasting duties alongside GT racing.

Piria spoke to Italian publication Corriere della Sera ahead of her Ferrari debut in the Gran Turismo Sprint at Imola, where she was asked about her experience in the paddock as a pundit.

Piria: Horner and Hamilton are the most intimidating

When asked which figures intimidated her most in the paddock, she responded:"[Lewis] Hamilton has a different aura about him; he’s won seven titles. With Horner, too, you never knew how he’d react. If you asked a particularly tricky question, you’d get a proper telling-off."

Piria also revealed the F1 stars she enjoyed speaking to, particularly the drivers frank in their interviews.

"A spicy interview with [Fernando] Alonso always makes me laugh. I like people who don't speak haphazardly and who think carefully about every word. Even Verstappen has a wit that devastates me," she explained.

The Sky Sports star also discussed Italian sensation Kimi Antonelli and revealed what he could teach us.

She explained: "Last season, Kimi started well and then struggled in Europe on the 'friendly' circuits, where he should have stepped up his game. That was because he was afraid of making mistakes. And how many of us are like that?

"Seeing the growth in mental and technical maturity he's achieved in so few races is an example, it shows that you have to let your positive aspects shine, without limiting them for fear of failure. Now he knows how to make mistakes, and that matters more than speed. He has everything it takes to win the title."

F1 Christian Horner Sky Sports