After a lengthy investigation, Red Bull dismissed the case alleging sexual misconduct against Christian Horner. The parent company, Red Bull GmbH, made the announcement a day before the start of the Bahrain GP race weekend. However, a finer reading of the statement also suggests that the Red Bull team boss’ troubles might just not be over yet.
As per Sky Sports F1, the statement from Red Bull GmbH read, “The independent investigation into the allegations made against Mr. Horner is complete, and Red Bull can confirm that the grievance has been dismissed. The complainant has a right of appeal.”
Through the statement, Red Bull also communicated its confidence in the fairness of the investigation. However, they refuse to divulge any information related to the investigation. That is to maintain secrecy over the identity of the complainant and the witnesses.
However, the complainant, as per Red Bull, still has the right to appeal the verdict. Does the company have an internal appellate authority or did the statement simply refer to the right of the complainant to seek redressal as per the law of the land, remains to be seen.
Either way, Horner might have to undergo scrutiny once again if the complainant chooses to appeal. Worst case scenario- the appellate authority could find him guilty of the charges levied against him. In such a case, will the parent company sack Horner from his position as team principal and the CEO of Red Bull Racing? Simply put, this saga is far from over and might stretch over through the Formula 1 racing calendar.
How the Christian Horner investigation panned out
The verdict on the Horner investigation arrived earlier today. Red Bull was reportedly keen on disposing of the matter before the start of the F1 season in Bahrain. The murmurs over the dismissal of the grievance picked up hours before the official confirmation, though.
Horner took a private flight to Bahrain, which stopped in Austria, reportedly to pick up Helmut Marko. The confirmation of the flight’s destination being Bahrain was enough for a section of the media to conclude what the verdict of the case was.
The saga began on February 5 when Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf made the allegations public. Following the leak, Red Bull issued a statement confirming the news, while also revealing the institution of an independent investigation. The said investigation was taken over by a legal expert hired from outside the organization.
After recording the complainant’s statement, the investigator called in Horner for examination. The complainant had reportedly submitted the evidence that included screenshots of her chat with Horner by then.
