In February of 2024, Red Bull Racing’s team principal Christian Horner was accused by a female colleague of “inappropriate, controlling behaviour”. After a long investigation conducted by the racing organization, Horner was cleared of all charges. 24 hours later, WhatsApp messages between the team boss and the employee were leaked to the media. But, as of the time this article is being written, it is still unknown who leaked the messages.
Red Bull Racing was crowned the constructors’ champions for the sixth time after a historic 2023 season. Before the season kicked off, the accusation against Christian Horner prompted a three-week-long investigation by the Austrian outfit. Christian Horner was interviewed for almost nine hours before he was cleared of the allegations.
In a statement released in March 2024, Horner denied the accusations made by the employee.
“I won’t comment on anonymous speculation, but to reiterate, I have always denied the allegations. I respected the integrity of the independent investigation and fully cooperated with it every step of the way.” [via The Independent]
The female employee, who at this point had been suspended from her job with pay, filed an appeal with the Red Bull organization regarding their decision to clear Christian Horner. However, Horner was cleared of any misconduct again in August and the appeal against him was dismissed.
What was the Red Bull organization’s reaction to the accusations against Christian Horner?
After the Austrian racing organization conducted an extensive investigation into the allegations made by it’s employee against Christian Horner, they released a statement that covered the process behind the inquiry. Red Bull revealed that they made use of the services ofa third-party to look into the claims. After the appeal was filed by the same employee, a different third-party agency conducted the investigation.
“That complaint was dealt with through the company’s grievance procedure by the appointment of an independent KC who dismissed the grievance. The complainant exercised the right to appeal, and the appeal was carried out by another independent KC.”
After which, they stated that their internal review process had been completed and the appeal was not being upheld. This was the final comment made by the team, choosing to protect the privacy of their employees.
Elsewhere, Jos Verstappen, father of F1 World Champion and RBR driver Max Verstappen, made a statement of his own. Verstappen senior shared his opinion that after the accusations that have been made against Christian Horner, allowing him to keep his position with the team would lead to consequences.
“There is tension here while he remains in his position. The team is in danger of being torn apart. It can’t go on the way it is. It will explode.” [via The Independent]
After their rocky start to 2024 off-track, Red Bull ended up finishing the season with a points total of 589, putting them in third in the constructors’ standings. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen went on to secure his fourth consecutive world championship title.
