Red Bull and its driver Max Verstappen They dominate their competitors with authority, but the Austrian team seems to be their worst rival at the start of the season, with internal disputes and conflicts that grab headlines beyond performance on the track.
The “Horner case” which bears the name of its employer, accused by an employee of “inappropriate behavior”, has marked the beginning of the season of the Formula 1 and raises questions about its possible economic and sporting repercussions.
On February 5, the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf revealed that Christian Horner, the team’s longtime boss, was the subject of an internal investigation over accusations of “inappropriate behavior” made by a team employee. Horner, whose wife is singer Geri Halliwell (formerly of the hit group Spice Girls), defended his innocence.
On February 28, the internal investigation acquits Horner, a decision that he welcomes, just before the first Grand Prix of the new season, in Bahrain.
But the waters do not calm down and a day later there is great commotion in the paddock due to an anonymous email, impossible to verify. It includes alleged WhatsApp conversations between Horner and the woman who accused him, who was suspended by Red Bull on March 7.
“A complaint was filed, it was examined and it was rejected. From there, we have to move on to something else,” Horner reacted.
Lack of transparency
Several team directors, especially the Austrian Toto Wolff (Mercedes) and the American Zak Brown (McLaren) They denounced the lack of transparency in the management of this case. Red Bull then spoke of the need to respect private life.
The complainant, suspended after the conclusion of the investigation, would have internally appealed the conclusions of that investigation and also, according to the BBC, He would have filed a complaint about the case before the International Automobile Federation (FIA), the supreme authority of the discipline.
In the background to this case, two sectors are waging a struggle for influence, with significant financial implications at stake, according to experts.
On the one hand there would behe group of “Austrians”, especially with the influential special advisor Helmut Marko and the management of the Red Bull parent company, with Mark Mateschitz, son of Red Bull co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz (died at the end of 2022).
Mark Mateschitz has 49% of the company and the team. That sector has the support of the Verstappen clan, with the driver Max and his father Jos, as well as the support of the driver’s agent, Raymond Vermeulen.
In front of them would be the sector around Christian Horner, who has led the team for 19 years and who has had a leading role in all its successes (seven world titles for drivers and six for constructors).
Horner He is a respected figure in the team and has the support of Chalerm Yoovidhya, son of the other co-founder of Red Bull, Chaleo Yoovidhya, and majority shareholder of the beverage company and the F1 team, with 51% of the shares.
The fight between the sides remained silent, but was revealed in Bahrain: Jos Verstappen attacked Horner right after his son’s victory in that race. “The team risks tearing itself apart. It can’t go on like this. It’s going to explode,” she said.
A Horner departure could also lead to the departure of several important elements of the team, such as the brilliant engineer Adrian Newey, who has conceived the current Red Bull cars and who has always rejected the idea of a short-term departure. Technical director Pierre Waché could also accompany Horner in a possible departure.
The current triple Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen has a contract until the end of 2028. But will he stay at Red Bull if Christian Horner continues at the helm?
When Helmut Marko hinted that he could be the victim of a suspension within Red Bull for alleged leaks to the press, Max Verstappen linked his future to that of the Austrian advisor. “I have always said in the team, to the people from above, that he plays an important part in all my decision-making and for my future in the team, so it is very important that he stays,” the pilot had stated then. Dutch.
“Max is an important member of our team. He is a wonderful driver (…) but no one is more important than the team,” declared Horner. after Verstappen’s victory in Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), in the second Grand Prix of the season. “If a driver doesn’t want to be somewhere, he’ll go somewhere else, but I don’t see why anyone would want to leave this team,” he said.
Several teams, especially Mercedes, dream of getting Verstappen.
“I would love to have him, but first we must improve the car,” declared the director of the German team, Toto Wolff, in Jeddah. Mercedes has a free wheel for 2025, the year in which Englishman Lewis Hamilton will join Ferrari.
Source: Ambito
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
