Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing’s team principal, has found himself in the spotlight as a light-hearted moment from the popular Netflix series “Drive to Survive” resurfaced.
In the scene, Horner’s wife, Geri, made a playful comparison between managing drivers and riding horses, drawing a parallel that led to an amusing reference to former Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas.
The clip from the series, capturing a candid exchange between the couple while horse riding, showcased Geri’s insight into horse behaviour.
“Horses do want to be told what to do. They want you to be in charge. They can feel it,” Geri commented.
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Horner, seizing the opportunity for a tongue-in-cheek analogy, responded, “A bit like racing drivers. If you’re nervous, they’re nervous. If you’re in control, they’re in control.”
The light-hearted banter continued as Geri playfully likened Horner’s horse, Archie, to Bottas, alluding to the Finnish driver’s well-known affinity for nature and his penchant for embracing the liberating experience of being naked outdoors.
Horner, however, quickly quashed the humorous comparison with a chuckle, demonstrating his adeptness at steering the conversation back on track.
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This comical scene resurfaced when Horner was interviewed on the “ESPN Unlapped” podcast, where the host inadvertently referred to Horner’s horse using Bottas’ name.
In response, Horner good-naturedly clarified the context and the origin of the playful joke, stating, “No, no, no.
“That is Netflix’s fault once again. My wife made a reference, we were talking about the personalities of the horses that we were riding, and she said: ‘Your horse is a little bit of a Valtteri.’ And I said, ‘Darling, you cannot say that I’m riding Bottas!'”