Since the turn of the year, the Formula One Red Bull team has been engulfed in drama initiated by a compliant made against team boss Christian Horner by a female employee. The accusation was lodged in December and included allegations of “inappropriate and controlling behaviour” but the team have steadfastly refused to confirm whether there was any element of a sexual nature.

Red Bull engaged a Kings Council barrister to independently manage the complaints process and in the days before the Bahrain opening race they revealed the allegations had been dismissed. Within hours an anonymous email was sent to 149 senior paddock individuals claiming to contain documents and evidence which had formed part of the complaint.

 

 

 

“Sexual harassment” now confirmed

While the female employee has been given leave to appeal, she was then suspended on full pay while the team investigate where the leak came from.

The scandal has seen public in fighting emerge from senior members of Red Bull, with Max Verstappen’s father calling for Christian Horner to leave. Dr. Helmut Marko intimated he may be suspended for the Australian team which then brought out the threat from Max Verstappen that he could leave the world championship F1 team.

Christian Horner denies all wrong doing and his acquittal for now means he remains in charge of the team as they head for Japan and this coming weekends Grand Prix.

In general the allegations reported have focused on the “controlling” behaviour aspect but the BBC now confirm they include others relating to “sexual harassment.” So far Red Bull have been able to lock down further information being disseminated because all parties concerned have signed a legal undertaking not to discuss the matter.

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Hamilton slams Red Bull behaviour

However, this has not prevented the clamour from a number of individuals for “clarity” and “transparency.” Lewis Hamilton was scathing when asked how Red Bull have handled the situation stating: 

‘We’re living in a time where the message is if you file a complaint, you will be fired (the women in the Red Bull saga has been suspended on full pay), and that is a terrible narrative to be projecting to the world, especially when we’re talking about inclusivity in the sport. We need to make sure we stay true to the core values.”

“Things are happening behind closed doors. There is no transparency, and we need that,” concluded the seven times champion.

The non disclosure agreements which prevents any one involved in the investigation sharing their knowledge of the ‘facts’ will remain in place until the appeal has been heard and educated upon. Yet as is the case in these kinds of circumstances, its is impossible from preventing friends and colleagues from commenting on the state of affairs.

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Female “upset”, “angry”, “scared” and “intimidated”

“It’s impossible for people to understand what it’s like for her,” said a friend of the female employee, who BBC Sport claim was speaking to exclusively and on condition of anonymity. “She can’t talk and she won’t talk.

“But I can tell you what it is doing to her. Every time I have asked her something, she breaks down in tears and says she’s got no-one to talk to because she’s not allowed to talk.”

Of course this is all par for the course in terms of setting the scene for damages, should either the appeal or a subsequent employment tribunal find in the female employee’s favour.

“She is very upset, very angry, very scared, very intimidated, very lonely. And I think it’s impossible for people to understand without being in her shoes what it’s like for her,” added the anonymous friend.

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WhatsApp messages deemed ‘genuine’

Red Bull have continued with their no comment position stating: “Both [parties] signed a confidentiality agreement on it so they both can’t discuss it.” The messages included in the anonymous email have not been verified and indeed when Horner was asked previously whether they were genuine, Red Bull played the “no comment” card.

Yet the BBC now report the messages were a genuine exchange between Horner and the complainant who said: 

However, the friend claimed the messages were a genuine exchange between Horner and the complainant. “We can all read the WhatsApps and anybody can come to their own conclusion whether that was an appropriate relationship between a CEO and a PA.

“As Christian has said, he wants to draw a line under this. Well, if this has been a fair and independent process and there has been no wrongdoing found, then why isn’t that being brought forward in a transparent way and why isn’t Christian denying that those WhatsApps are real?

“I do feel like you had some people who feel it takes two to tango, but that’s unfair. That is trying to divert. The issue here is, should Christian have done what he did as a CEO?”

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All the marks of a classic “kiss and tell”

This of course is the classic fashion in which kiss and tell claims often play out. The complainant cannot say anything to anyone, so an anonymous “friend” speaks out on their behalf. And given the outrage in certain corners of the paddock, these latest revelations are timed perfectly as the F1 circus decamps in Suzuka this week.

The friend claims the case against Horner is cut and dry and the accuser now “struggles to understand how, given the information, an independent process can have come to the conclusions it has, and the actions that have followed. It’s shocking but not surprising how upset she is. There have been multiple financial offers [to sell her story], none of which she has had any interest in even engaging on.

“The fact she can’t talk to her friends, is only allowed to talk to her direct family members… you have a single female who has followed the right process and feels like she is unheard and it has been a totally unjust process.

“It takes a pretty brave woman to do what she has done. And unfortunately it is a very poor state of affairs.”

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Getting the information in the public domain

Should the appeal be quashed by Red Bull, the only way to get confirmed details of the affair into the public domain would be for the female to take recourse in law and her friend confirms this process is already underway.

“It is registered to go to an employment tribunal, which is public. As a friend, I can tell you I would assume that Horner, like he has done every step of the way, will do everything he can to make sure that the employee tribunal is not public.”

Yet these hearings in the UK at present may only be scheduled many months in the future, if not over a year, and so nay its very nature this process will run and run with voices calling for “transparency” every step of the way. During this time frame neither party can be seen to divulged information as this would jeopardise any final ruling in their favour.

The friend believes the suspension is merely a ruse “and it’s clear that’s Red Bull following a process to eventually fire her.” The BBC report a Red Bull spokesperson stating: “Christian has not made attempts to [make sure the employment tribunal is private]. And she has not been suspended with the intent of firing her.”

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“Friend’ seems well advised

The ‘friend’ has clearly been well advised and the BBC article lays the ground for further claims of “inappropriate behaviour” along with the accusation Horner’s position of power has given him the ability to share his side of the story.

“She is determined for the truth to come out. She just wants to work in the sport and is very concerned about her reputation and ability to get hired by anyone. She has been in motorsport her entire life, so on one hand she is very concerned and scared for her future, on the other hand very determined for the truth to come out.

“Because she can’t talk to her friends openly, I think she has all this bottled-up fear and concern that she is not able to openly communicate with her friends and family to support her and give her advice, because she is being respectful of the terms and conditions that have been placed upon her.

“It’s pretty clear she has not been able to say a word or even identify herself and yet Christian is able to give enough commentary because he has got a position of power and influence to effectively give his side of the story and she has been completely muted.”

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UK employment law will decide

The BBC article has somewhat of a polemic feel to it and a number of the buttons it seeks to press are clearly intended to create sympathy for the female accuser of Horner.  Further there a legal ramifications from some of the revelations and the entire HR complaints process of the Red Bull organisation is being made itself to look punitive to a complainant.

Yet the matter ultimately will be decided by UK employment law. Whether Horner has been subject to a honey trap or not will one day come out. Further,  claims that some of the screenshot WhatsApp messages were taken while Horner was supposed to be typing, cast extreme doubt on the genuine nature of those interactions that were taking place.

Recording live a WhatsApp conversation may well be deemed to be contrived and ultimately part of a plot to overthrown the longest standing team principal in the F1 paddock.

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