With each passing day, the situation of Red Bull boss Christian Horner’s case is getting messier. According to recent claims from De Telegraaf, the 50-year-old’s investigation has reportedly gone beyond accusations of controlling conduct to include allegations of “sexual” misbehavior. These reports suggest that Christian Horner allegedly sent some inappropriate messages to the female employee. The report also stated that the Horner camp offered a substantial amount to settle the matter within 24 hours of the investigation beginning.
As per the recent narrative, Horner has been sending the employee some inappropriate messages. Following this, the employee brought up the issue with Red Bull GmbH, and the company hired an independent barrister to begin an inquiry.
However, another story from Motorsport Total claims that the Briton was given a chance to resolve the issue. For things to work properly, Horner had to voluntarily step down as the team’s boss. The organization would subsequently cite Horner’s health issues as the official cause of his resignation. However, Horner hasn’t accepted any such offer.
Following this as part of the investigation, the lawyer questioned Horner for about eight hours on February 9th. However, it came out that they confronted Horner with a dossier that contained pieces of evidence based on the employee’s claims.
While De Telegraaf has reportedly disclosed the details of the dossier, there are rumors that the publisher would be “legally vulnerable” if the allegations proved untrue. Motorsport Total reports that the Red Bull’s team boss has now filed a lawsuit against the publication.
What was Christian Horner’s plan for settling the case?
Christian Horner’s situation has garnered greater media coverage since last Monday. Moreover, the matter has also caught the owner of Formula 1 – Liberty Media’s attention. They are keeping a close eye on the situation. However, some reports also say that Red Bull’s two main partners, Ford and Oracle, are also paying close attention to the investigation.
This is because new allegations from the De Telegraaf claim that the accusations against Horner are primarily about alleged “sexual” misconduct and not exercising control over coercive behavior. The latest article from the Dutch publication claims Horner allegedly sent the female employee “sexually suggestive messages”.
❗️ Teambaas Christian Horner van Red Bull Racing beticht van seksueel grensoverschrijdend gedrag, zo blijkt uit berichten en documenten.
Advocaten van Brit (50) deden op 3 februari aanbod aan meldster om te schikken voor 650.000 pond. ⬇️https://t.co/WXxwOgBRNR via @telegraaf
— Erik van Haren (@ErikvHaren) February 16, 2024
Furthermore, as per some other reports, the 50-year-old has done everything within his power to cover up the case. One of those attempts involves Horner’s lawyer making a $816,000 settlement offer.
Even though Horner has refuted these allegations, there could be serious repercussions if he is found guilty of any of these charges. Initially, the Red Bull boss would have to step down from his role, which would ruin his years of dedication and bring a bad reputation. Secondly, the absence of an influential figure like him will significantly hurt Red Bull’s pursuit of success.
