Red Bull Racing witnessed a high-scale internal turmoil when team principal Christian Horner was accused of inappropriate behavior by a female employee. While an internal investigation declared Horner innocent, and discrepancies and lack of transparency further stretched the matter into a full blown controversy.
Christian Horner and the anonymous victim remain at a crossroads as the latter was believed to have sought legal action after Red Bull suspended her. That being said, while the matter has doused down for a few months now, senior advisor Helmut Marko recently shared an update and made startling claims.
Helmut Marko Reveals Christian Horner Sexual Misconduct Case Far From Over
Christian Horner‘s image as one of the most successful F1 team principals took a massive hit this year when a female Red Bull employee accused him of inappropriate behavior. He pleaded innocence and was let go off the internal investigation committee before the victim fought back. She changed her team of lawyers following her suspension and filed a review appeal. It was also reported that if RB fails to treat her case seriously, she will drag Horner to the court of law, where he won’t necessarily have any external support. That being said, the matter has been quiet for a few weeks now. Neither Horner nor the victim has come forward to share an update on the case. And Red Bull already clarified that they won’t be commenting on it any further.
Meanwhile, Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s senior adviser, and Christian Horner’s biggest critic has suggested that the matter is still brewing behind the curtains. He told Oe24 that, to the best of his knowledge, the matter between Horner and the victim remains legally unsettled. However, Marko insisted that Red Bull must put the off-track issues aside and regroup, especially at a time when the team is getting challenged day in and out by rivals. “It is something that has to be put aside, especially in a situation where you are so challenged as a team and technically. And everyone has to pull together,” said Marko. The senior advisor also added that reigning world champion Max Verstappen showed utmost maturity and disengaged himself from the off-track saga to focus on the thing that he loves the most, which is racing and winning.
Max Verstappen Distanced Himself From Red Bull Off-Track Drama
When the Christian Horner sexual misconduct controversy blew out, reigning world champion Max Verstappen tried his best to stay away from the off-track drama. He said during a press conference that he is the driver whose job is to focus on the performance side of things. He gets paid to do it, and hence, his entire focus should be on racing.
“But from what I know, everything was handled in the right way,” Max Verstappen said of Christian Horner getting acquitted in the sexual misconduct case by the internal investigation committee. However, Red Bull Racing and Horner’s trouble does not seem to dissipate anytime soon as the victim sorts out her legal options.
Stay tuned to Sports News International for more such updates about your favorite F1 team