Despite teams launching their cars and liveries, it is Christian Horner hogging the headlines. The reason is the ongoing investigations into an alleged case of misconduct against him. While many believed Red Bull would decide his fate by Friday, reports suggest it might take a lot longer than that.
Red Bull, the parent company, was rumored to be in a hurry to make a decision on Horner’s case. The F1 team’s car launch date is approaching soon and they planned on disposing of the case before that. However, after hearing Horner’s side of the story today, they have decided to bring the accuser in for questioning a second time.
As per The Race, not only is it unlikely that the proceedings will end before the launch date (February 15), but it might stretch out to the season opener in Bahrain. The Salzburg-based company plans on leaving no stone unturned in the investigations before coming to a decision. The report will be handed over to the Red Bull board, which will make its decision based on it.
That is because the repercussions of any final judgment could end up tarnishing the image of the parties involved. That is also the reason why Red Bull hired an independent legal expert to oversee the investigations. An independent investigation would ensure no person known to the parties to the conflict could influence a decision.
The allegations Christian Horner is facing
It came as a shock to the F1 media and fans alike when Red Bull disclosed initiating an investigation against its F1 team’s head. While they refused to divulge any sensitive information, they did confirm the allegations pertained to “coercive, controlling behavior”.
The news first came through De Telegraaf. The Dutch publication quoted Horner as denying the allegations. As days passed, rumors of a power struggle also started doing the rounds on the internet.
Last year, a power tussle between a rumored Horner camp and Helmut Marko camp surfaced. Apparently, Max Verstappen is a part of the Marko camp and defended the octogenarian when he was at risk of losing his job following the controversial comments passed against Sergio Perez. Verstappen, as per Ralf Schumacher, went as far as threatening to leave if Marko lost his place.
This time around, it is his father, Jos Verstappen, who reportedly has an axe to grind with Horner. Some have even speculated how the news getting leaked through Dutch media (the Verstappen connection) is indicative of the tussle.
