Although Red Bull has dismissed the grievances of Christian Horner’s case, the saga seems to continue. This is because, according to recent reports, a large amount of information was leaked online yesterday, leading to an aggravated scenario. The information is apparently from an alleged WhatsApp conversation between the female employee (who reported the case) and the Red Bull boss. Undoubtedly, the issue has garnered global media attention and has even overshadowed the start of the 2024 season. However, in the thick of everything, the narrative saw FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem hugging Christian Horner outside Red Bull’s garage.
Even though Sulayem ran into Horner at the Bahrain GP’s last practice session, he seemed upset about the ongoing scandal. The explanation, as Financial Times noted, is natural, and that is Sulayem feels the recent tale has put the sport in a bad light and has ‘damaged it on a human level.’
Christian Horner and Ben Sulayem hugging… I’ve seen enough pic.twitter.com/d6xcTqV1rp
— leo (@formuleo_) March 1, 2024
However, while talking of Horner, he has remained silent about the leaked information and has referred to it as “anonymous speculation”. Nevertheless, the leak has now prompted the FIA’s and the F1’s top officials to intervene.
Two of Red Bull’s competitors’ team bosses even stated yesterday that the FIA and FOM will now have to confirm if Red Bull has managed the situation in a way that is good for the championship.
How did Christian Horner and the team respond to the leaked information?
For all F1 fans, Wednesday remained a really important day since it was the deadline on which the result of the Christian Horner investigation was due to come out. Although Red Bull dismissed the grievances against Horner, the situation took a dramatic turn yesterday. This follows the rumored messages that were leaked and mailed out to the F1 community on Thursday.
All nine other F1 team bosses as well as two top executives (Sulayem and Domenicalli) and many major journalists received an anonymous email that included a Google Drive full of WhatsApp conversations. There were 79 different files on the drive related to the recent investigation and statements.
However, following the email’s distribution, Reuters has reported Christian Horner’s response. The Briton said. ” I won’t comment on anonymous speculation. But to reiterate, I have always denied the allegations.”
In addition to Horner, Red Bull has also shared their thoughts on the subject. The Milton Keynes side stated that it would not be suitable for the team to comment, since the case is a private one involving Mr. Horner and another.
Earlier in February, Red Bull’s parent company, Red Bull GmbH, opened up this independent investigation against Horner. This was due to the Briton facing accusations of in inappropriate behavior towards a female employee. However, now amidst the new openings, it will be crucial how the F1’s top officials are going to address the matter that is damaging the sport.
