Fiona Mansell

The woman who accused Red Bull team principal Christian Horner of inappropriate behaviour has lodged an official complaint. The grievance has been registered with the FIA, part of F1’s official governing body. Horner has always denied the accusations.

Who is Christian Horner?

Horner began his career behind the wheel before entering motorsport’s management side. When Red Bull joined F1 in 2005, it turned to Horner to lead the team, making him the sport’s youngest principal at 31. He is also famously married to former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell.

The Accusations

The allegations against Horner first became public in early February, with multiple news sources reporting he was under investigation relating to inappropriate behaviour of a controlling nature towards a female colleague. Horner denied these allegations throughout. He also added he wanted the investigation to end but was “not at liberty” to comment on the process.

Red Bull’s Investigation

Red Bull said it took the allegations “extremely seriously” and started an internal investigation. Both the F1 and FIA released official statements regarding the investigation. They refused to comment until the investigation was completed but stated, “The FIA remains committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity, fairness and inclusivity within the sport.”

“A series of WhatsApp messages, some sexually suggestive, were leaked”

During the investigation, Lewis Hamilton commented on his hope that the allegations would be taken seriously in line with the sport’s values of inclusivity. Max Verstappen, Red Bull’s three-time World Champion Driver, said in Bahrain he was “trusting the process of the investigation.” He was asked twice whether he had full faith in Horner as team principal, and each time, he ducked the question.

The internal investigation then cleared Horner of the allegations. Later, a series of WhatsApp messages, some sexually suggestive, were leaked and alleged to be from Horner. He continued denying allegations and insisted on his trust in the independent investigation with which he claimed to be fully cooperative.

The Aftermath

Red Bull later dismissed the complainant because “she had been dishonest.” However, no public reason was given for the decision. The woman has since decided to appeal the decision made by this investigation.

“The complaint directly referenced Horner’s behaviour towards a female employee”

This and the alleged leaked messages continue to divide the Red Bull team and its fans. Jos Verstappen, the father of Red Bull’s World champion, Max Verstappen, expressed concern over the Horner controversy, stating it is “driving people apart.” Max Verstappen echoed his father’s sentiments by stating Jos is “not a liar.”

BBC Sport reported that a complaint was made to the FIA ethics and compliance hotline on 2nd February when the allegations became public. The complaint directly referenced Horner’s behaviour towards a female employee, asking the FIA to look into it and expressing fears that Red Bull could try to cover it up. The second complaint on 6th March referenced the first and warned that the whistleblower was prepared to go public to the media.

The FIA has stated that complaints are received and managed by the compliance officer, and confidentiality is ensured during the process. Therefore, they cannot publicly confirm whether they received an official complaint.

Denying the accusations again, Horner expressed in Jeddah that he wanted to move on, sharing on Sky News, “Time now to draw a line under it—we’re here to go racing.” However, if the complaint is true, it may force the FIA to take further action, including further investigations, potential consequences for the people involved, and further division among the Red Bull team and its fans.

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Featured image courtesy of  Minerva97 via Wikimedia Commons. No changes have been made to this image. Image license found here.

Fiona is now undergoing a master's degree in 'Visual Journalism' in Cardiff after recently graduating with first-class honours in 'Performance and Media.' Most of her writing focuses on her passion for motorsport.

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