Horner admits popular F1 figure left him with 'quite scary' first impression

Steiner became a familiar face to millions of viewers through Netflix's Drive to Survive, which brought Formula 1's team principals and their personalities into the spotlight. Horner believes the series has been hugely beneficial for the championship, although he acknowledged that editing can have a significant influence on how individuals are portrayed.

Speaking to Autosport, Horner explained that viewers do not necessarily see the full picture when watching the Netflix documentary, given the amount of footage recorded throughout a Formula 1 season.

Despite that, Horner praised the programme for giving fans an insight into aspects of Formula 1 that were previously less visible, particularly the relationships and rivalries within the paddock: "That show has been incredibly successful because it suddenly lifted the lid on some of the rivalries, the personalities, the drivers’ personalities, some of the characters."

Steiner was one of the figures who attracted considerable attention through the series. His appearances as Haas team principal made him popular with viewers, something Horner acknowledged while making a light-hearted remark about his results in Formula 1.

Having worked alongside Steiner before his time at Haas, Horner was already familiar with his personality long before the Netflix cameras arrived in the paddock: "He is a character, quite a scary character when he worked for us, but it’s brought a whole new fan base into the sport, which has been fantastic."

Steiner's connection with Red Bull dates back to the team's early years in Formula 1, when Horner was establishing himself as team principal. The Briton admitted that he had never heard of Steiner before their paths crossed and that his first impression came from searching for information about him online.

Steiner was subsequently responsible for the RB2, the car Red Bull entered in the 2006 Formula 1 season. Powered by a Ferrari engine, the RB2 suffered from overheating problems during its initial running at Silverstone, something Horner still remembers: "He was then responsible for the RB2, the Ferrari-powered car that overheated in about three degrees at Silverstone on a shakedown."

Adrian Newey arrived at Red Bull shortly afterwards. Horner recalled how the British designer reacted to the car, suggesting that he had little interest in continuing with the existing design: "Adrian Newey turned up shortly afterwards and said ‘well, we’ll forget about that car’."

Steiner eventually moved away from the Formula 1 operation, although he continued working within the Red Bull organisation. His next role involved the company's developing NASCAR project, marking the beginning of his move into American motorsport.