The Red Bull drama could be drawing to a close following news from RTL who claim Christian Horner has settled with his accuser. A female colleague had claimed he had been “controlling and inappropriate” towards her.
The parent company of the Formula One team instigated an eight week long investigation conducted by an independent KC – the most respected advocate position in the UK legal system.
Suspended Red Bull employee has legal advice
Horner was acquitted of wrong doing as Red Bull GmbH stated, “The independent investigation into the allegations made against Mr Horner is complete, and Red Bull confirm that the grievance has been dismissed. The complainant has a right of appeal.
“Red Bull is confident that the investigation has been fair, rigorous and impartial. The investigation report is confidential and contains the private information of the parties and third parties who assisted in the investigation and therefore we will not be commenting further out of respect for all concerned.”
The female is said to have respected legal advice and as yet no appeal has been lodged with the company and neither has a legal claim been made with the UK courts.
Following the conclusion of the HR process an anonymous email was sent to 149 senior F1 paddock figures claiming to contain documents gathered during the investigation process. This fanned the flames of the matter Red Bull believed to be concluded and has engulfed members associated with the team and star driver Max Verstappen.
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Red Bull search for source of leak
Red Bull are clearly now seeking to find the instigator of the leaked documents and this may be the reason the female employee was suspended from her role in Milton Keynes when she arrived for work on Monday this week.
Now apparently RTL say that the matter was settled by Horner and Red Bull themselves added to the payout.
The fall out from the claims has gathered pace and Max Verstappen’s father together with Helmut Marko now appear to be implicated in the affair. The Austrian was asked yesterday about rumours he could be suspended from Monday, he replied in coded fashion: “I’ll put it this way, it’s difficult to judge, or let’s put it this way, ultimately, I’ll decide for myself what I do. The theoretical possibility always exists.”
Marko is not employed by the F1 team, something Christian Horner made plain when the Red Bull driver mentor was accused of racist comments last season and sanctioned by the FIA. The Red Bull boss was being hounded for a comment following Lewis Hamilton’s suggestion the team should sanction the 80 year old Marko.
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Max father says Horner lies
“Obviously from Helmut’s perspective he’s apologised,” said Horner. “He’s not an employee of Red Bull Racing so in terms of why didn’t we put out a statement, he’s part of the Red Bull wider group and the group obviously issued that apology through the Servus TV channel.”
Despite the matter being settled as far as Red Bull are concerned, Max Verstappen’s father, Jos, publicly called for Christian Horner to leave his position as team principal following his son’s victory at the season opening Bahrain Grand Prix.
Jos has continued his attack this weekend on the Red Bull boss, but he is absent from his usual spot in the team’s hospitality. He claims Horner is playing the “victim” and offered his ‘sympathy’ to the female employee who has now been suspended by Red Bull.
Max’s father also suggests Horner is lying when he suggested the matter between the pair was resolved after the Bahrain chequered flag.
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Bahrain row topic revealed
“Obviously I’m aware of the comments that were made [by Jos in Bahrain]. I spoke to Jos following the Grand Prix and obviously congratulated him on his son’s performance, and I think it’s in everyone’s interest that we’ve agreed to focus on the future. We have a vested interest together to do the best for his son. Hopefully we can continue to provide him with a very competitive car.”
Verstappen Snr dismissed the alleged row after the chequered flag stating, “That was earlier, on Friday, before the race.
“He was saying to me ‘Do you trust me? I will do everything for your son’ and we were talking with our hands, we didn’t have a fight.
“But on Friday we did have an argument in the office, and I walked out but, in the trailer, he came up to me and said ‘Congratulations, good race’.”
Jos concedes Horner will stay
Jos Verstappen says the Horner claim a line has been drawn under the matter is absurd and mocks the red Bull boss for his media interviews this weekend suggesting so.
“In the press conference Horner gave the other day it was all about him and his problems when we should be talking about Max, the car, his performance and the race,” says Max father.
“I’ve already said I think it is causing problems if he stays.”
Verstappen snr added: “I think it’s too late for Christian to say ‘leave me alone’ but he has the support of the Thai owner so I think he will stay for the rest of the season.
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Employee paid €700,000
“I said it would bad if he stayed, it really isn’t good for the team, this whole situation.”
RTL state: “Now, Horner is said to have drawn a clear line [under the matter] and ensured that the said employee and he are no longer ever together at work.
“According to RTL information, he is said to have paid her a severance payment of 700,000 euros. Red Bull is said to have increased the sum to one million. The termination including mega payment is not officially confirmed – Red Bull has so far left a request from RTL unanswered.”
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Payment no admittance of guilt
Given Horner was acquitted, to some this may appear a very generous action and unnecessary action. Though for Christian to move forward it requires her to be absent from his presence. This is not a payoff for silence, rather compensation for actions since taken which have seen the female understandably suspended from her role in Milton Keynes.
Honda who build Red Bull’s engines this weekend called for “transparency” though its probably the energy drinks company will respond as they did to Ford, with a cold and stony silence.
Finally, the rumour of a rift between Horner and the Austrian Red Bull board members is being dismissed by the company. The Red Bull boss has been pictured today with the Group CFO in the hospitality area, so it appears finally the whole matter may be coming to an end.
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With over 30 years of experience in Formula 1 as an insider journalist, I have built trusted connections across the paddock, from race engineers and mechanics to senior team figures. At The Judge 13, I and a handful of trusted colleagues share exclusive Formula 1 news, expert analysis and behind-the-scenes stories you will not find in mainstream motorsport media.
This is BS. It’s all rumours. Poor journalism.
J13 is the most gullible reporter out there. You don’t pay someone off who has the right to go to appeal! Large organisations have very strict rules on corruption and sexual harassment grievances. This simply did not happen.
I will recommend this site to all my friends that watch soap operas.The quality is excellent, facts are a minor issue
What a loser Horner is
Name the accuser, this stinks of a stitch up, the Austrian faction want rid of Horner.
He was not aquitted. Stop saying that. The charges were dismissed, which has not the same thing.
Semantics. He was not in trial, there were no charges, just an accusation that was deemed unfounded, subject to appeal. Acquitted works fine in the broad sense of the word.
..much support Holly from Downunder – this is a disgrace ..I don’t want the profits from my purchase of “cheap shot ” (✅) of RedBull to assist Horner’s payouts …👌🙋👏👏
At least one person in Red Bull Austria wants Horner’s job in Red Bull Racing. However, Horner’s record/performance at RBR has been extraordinarily successful, and his popularity within the team is at a very high level. He also hss the support of the majority Thai shareholder. Current attempts to undermine Horner are likely to fail.