Red Bull’s race against time
Beleaguered Horner was picked up in darkness yesterday from his plush London home and faced an all-day grilling over his ‘improper conduct’. But with the new season looming, this is...
Christian horner left his plush highgate home in north London yesterday to embark on the fight of his life.
it was still dark, just gone seven in the morning, and the red Bull team principal was driven in a black BMW saloon to a secret venue in the capital to argue his case over claims made by a female employee that he acted coercively towards her.
he denies all the allegations but had to make his case to a KC, tasked as the internal investigator by the team to look into the matter.
Various media were stationed at the red Bull factory in Milton
Keynes for the summit. they were to be disappointed. the meeting, as we reported yesterday, was to be conducted at a neutral venue, thought to be the barrister’s chambers.
the interrogation lasted all day, starting at 8.45am.
no decision was reached last night but several sources claim they want it concluded before the launch of the new car on thursday. horner has said nothing publicly since the hearing.
Other informed insiders believe the matter will drag on longer in a case of ‘ he says, she says, he says’. ‘it will take some time,’ said one F1 insider. ‘it is the first time they have spoken to Christian to get his view on it and they need to ask the woman in question to respond. it may take a bit of to-and-fro to get a resolution.’
Certainly, there is a desire within red Bull to resolve the argument before the start of the season, in Bahrain on March 2.
neither red Bull racing, who last year secured Max Verstappen’s accession to a third world championship with 19 victories, nor the parent company, red Bull GmBh — who are carrying out the investigation — were willing to elaborate on yesterday’s findings.
horner, 50, husband of former spice Girl Geri halliwell, is determined to carry on in his role, which he has held for 19 years, winning 13 world titles, drivers’ and constructors’, in that time.
a spokesperson for red Bull GmBh said on Monday: ‘after being made aware of certain recent allegations, the company launched an independent investigation.’ they added: ‘the company takes these matters extremely seriously.’
in response to the allegations, horner said: ‘i completely deny the claims.’
red Bull have said: ‘ having being made aware of certain recent allegations, the company launched an independent investigation. this process is being carried out by an external specialist barrister.
‘ the investigation will be completed as soon as practically possible. it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.’
horner’s backers claim he is a pawn in a wider power struggle at the organisation, in a void that has come about after the death of his main ally, Dietrich Mateschitz, the energy drinks magnate who founded the company and died in October 2022.
horner has been a staple of F1 life for more than 20 years, and a keen ally of Bernie Ecclestone, the one-time supremo of the sport and still a very significant figure in any dispute. horner is a link to the sport’s heritage and is still backed by Ecclestone.
horner remains confident he can maintain his position. Others within the sport doubt that. But it has always been a tribal business, an ego-based hate-party of rivals, and who is to say?