Horner 'constantly winced' while watching 'Drive to Survive'

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Red Bull team boss Christian Horner says he cringed and "winced" while watching the third season of 'Drive to Survive' and reliving Formula 1's eventful 2020 campaign.

Season 3 of the massively popular Netflix docu-series that goes behind the scenes to offer F1 fans a fly-on-the-wall account of the year's most compelling stories premiered on the streaming platform on March 18.

Filmed against a backdrop dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on F1, 'Drive to Survive' delivers once again for viewers its fair share of immersive and dramatic portraits and experiences.

Having been on site all year and witnessed many stories from within - including a few involving his own team, Horner embraced Season 3 of DtS as a genuine F1 fan.

"I am sure you will have seen the trailers, if not binged-watched it already, but the third season of ‘Drive to Survive’ is now on Netflix," Horner wrote in his first Red Bull column of the year.

"I was recently asked if I winced whenever I watched it back, the honest answer is yes, constantly!

"It is a TV show but it is also showing a side of the sport that is not normally conveyed during a conventional weekend broadcast.

"It shows some of the characteristics and some of the personalities, which is presented in a certain way to engage the audience, but overall it is very positive for F1 and the popularity seems enormous."

Read also: Steiner not worried by 'Drive to Survive' depiction

As he looked back on the 2020 season, Horner could hardly believe, in hindsight, the singular events that unfolded for the F1 community over the short and frantic six-month period.

"This series is covering the 2020 season, which had so many challenges and you think ‘how did we do all of that in such a short space of time?’," he commented.

"It is a very positive thing for F1 and brings in a whole new audience to the sport.

"My 14-year-old daughter and her friends didn’t have much interest in F1 before the Netflix series, and now they know who all the drivers are!"

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.