The Recent Drama around the Head of Red Bull Racing by Benjamin Schoonmaker
Christian Horner has been the team principal of Red Bull Racing since 2005. Under him, Red Bull has won six Formula One championships in a row. They’ve also won seven drivers’ championships, which is the most successful F1 driver in an official season.
On February 5th, news got out about allegations towards Christian Horner. A female member of the Red Bull team accused Horner for sending controlling texts and inappropriate behavior. Red Bull Racing is a division under the parent company Red Bull GmbH, and it launched an investigation upon the accusation. It assured people that the investigation was thorough and fair, and that it would not be commenting on the investigation further for confidentiality.
Since news got out, Horner had been persistently asserting his innocence to the public. While the investigation was ongoing, the CEO of Ford complained to Red Bull for the silence. As a future partner for Red Bull Racing’s engine division, Ford had a stake in the outcome of events and wanted clarity as soon as possible.
Ford wasn’t the only one to feel lost, as many people thought Red Bull was hesitant to remove their successful team principal. Red Bull has been dominating Formula One, and it would’ve been devastating for the team if Horner took the success with him out the door. That said, others would benefit from his removal, as it could end the recently unbeatable Red Bull. Pressures mounted upon Red Bull due to the nearing start of the F1 season.
Just days before the first official season race, Christian Horner was exonerated from the investigated accusations. Concluding the probe, Red Bull GmbH stated, “The independent investigation into the allegations made against Horner is complete, … Red Bull can confirm that the grievance has been dismissed.” The parent company added that the employee who accused Horner has a right to appeal.
People were not satisfied with the result, especially because so little was made public. GmbH from the start said it would be a private investigation, but the lack of transparency has people speculating. It would be different if the investigation was done by another party, but as the parent company of the F1 team, it’s possible that GmbH acted in self-interest. Formula One and its partners as a whole dislike how Red Bull operated with the complaint.
On February 5th, news got out about allegations towards Christian Horner. A female member of the Red Bull team accused Horner for sending controlling texts and inappropriate behavior. Red Bull Racing is a division under the parent company Red Bull GmbH, and it launched an investigation upon the accusation. It assured people that the investigation was thorough and fair, and that it would not be commenting on the investigation further for confidentiality.
Since news got out, Horner had been persistently asserting his innocence to the public. While the investigation was ongoing, the CEO of Ford complained to Red Bull for the silence. As a future partner for Red Bull Racing’s engine division, Ford had a stake in the outcome of events and wanted clarity as soon as possible.
Ford wasn’t the only one to feel lost, as many people thought Red Bull was hesitant to remove their successful team principal. Red Bull has been dominating Formula One, and it would’ve been devastating for the team if Horner took the success with him out the door. That said, others would benefit from his removal, as it could end the recently unbeatable Red Bull. Pressures mounted upon Red Bull due to the nearing start of the F1 season.
Just days before the first official season race, Christian Horner was exonerated from the investigated accusations. Concluding the probe, Red Bull GmbH stated, “The independent investigation into the allegations made against Horner is complete, … Red Bull can confirm that the grievance has been dismissed.” The parent company added that the employee who accused Horner has a right to appeal.
People were not satisfied with the result, especially because so little was made public. GmbH from the start said it would be a private investigation, but the lack of transparency has people speculating. It would be different if the investigation was done by another party, but as the parent company of the F1 team, it’s possible that GmbH acted in self-interest. Formula One and its partners as a whole dislike how Red Bull operated with the complaint.