The ‘Horner case’, named after his employer, accused by an employee of “inappropriate behaviour”, has marked the start of the premier class season and raises questions about its eventual economic and sporting repercussions.
On February 5, the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf revealed that Christian Horner, the team’s historic team leader, was the subject of an internal investigation for accusations of “inappropriate behavior” made by a team employee. Horner, whose wife is singer Geri Halliwell (formerly of the Spice Girls), defended his innocence.
On February 28, the internal investigation cleared Horner, a decision he welcomed, just before the first Grand Prix of the new season, in Bahrain.
But the waters did not calm down and a day later there was a great stir in the paddock over 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.
Several team directors, especially the Austrian Toto Wolff (Mercedes) and the American Zak Brown (McLaren) 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 appealed internally the conclusions of that investigation and also, according to the BBC, 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 power strugglewith significant financial implications at stake, according to experts.
On the one hand there would be the “Austrians” group, especially with the influential special advisor Helmut Marko and the management of the Red Bull parent company, with Mark Mateschitz, son of the brand’s co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz (who died at the end of 2022).
Mark Mateschitz has 49% of the company and the team. This faction has the support of the Verstappen clanwith pilot Max and his father Jos, as well as the support of the pilot’s agent, Raymond Vermeulen.
In front of them would be the sector around Christian Hornerwho has led the team for 19 years and has had a leading role in all its successes (seven world titles for drivers and six for constructors).
Horner is a respected figure in the team and is supported by Chalerm Yoovidhya, son of the other co-founder of Red Bull, Chaleo Yoovidhya, and majority shareholder of the drinks company and the Formula 1 team, with 51% of the shares. .
The fight between the sides remained silent, but was revealed in Bahrain: Jos Verstappen attacked Horner just 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,” he 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 designed the current Red Bull cars and has always rejected the idea of a short-term exit, especially since he has been linked with a possible exit for Ferrari. He could also accompany Horner in an eventual departure from technical director Pierre Waché.
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 occupies an important part in all my decision-making and for my future in the team, so it is very important that he stays”the Dutch pilot had stated then.
“Max is an important member of our team. He is a wonderful driver (…) but no one is more important than the team,” Horner declared 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 keeping Verstappen.
“I would love to have it, but first we must improve the car,” declared the director of the German team, Toto Wolff, in Arabia. Mercedes has a free steering wheel by 2025, the year in which the Englishman Lewis Hamilton will join Ferrari.
Source: Ambito
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