The Red Bull employee who accused Christian Horner has been suspended

The fire continues to burn at Red Bull. The employee who accused the team principal, Christian Horner, of inappropriate sexual behavior, is now suspended by the Formula 1 giant, without pay being withheld.

While Horner still flatly denies these allegations, the Red Bull board has made a decision after an internal investigation, dismissing the complaint last week. According to internal sources reported by the BBC, the reason cited for the suspension would be the employee’s “dishonest” behavior. “The company cannot comment on this internal matter,” a Red Bull spokesperson said Thursday. The employee’s name has not been disclosed by the team.

It appears, however, that the employee, who showed up to work on Monday, has been suspended pending the internal investigation. She was notified of this decision through legal channels and has five days to contest the outcome of the investigation.

Shareholders break up after the Horner case

The events date back to last month, when this case came to light. Since then, tensions have been palpable within the Austrian team. On one side, the Thai branch is staunchly supporting Horner, while the Austrian headquarters seems divided on how to manage the crisis. Sources close to Red Bull claim that there is a rift between the Thai branch of Red Bull and the Austrian headquarters, which holds 49% of the company.

This saga took an even more dramatic turn with the leak of a mysterious email containing messages supposedly involving Horner. Confusion reigns and suspicion hangs in the air. Questioned at the last Bahrain Grand Prix, Horner remained enigmatic about the authenticity of these messages. He found himself shielded by a member of his communications team, who interrupted any attempts to question him on the subject.

Max Verstappen talks about his father

In this climate of mistrust and doubt, the Verstappen family, a prominent figure at Red Bull, is not spared. Jos Verstappen, the patriarch, laments the impact of this controversy on the team, stating that it “divides people” and that “it is not good for the team.” He pleads for Christian Horner’s departure.

Regarding Max Verstappen, the Dutch prodigy, he remains evasive on the subject. Carefully avoiding taking sides, he focuses on the sporting aspect, simply stating: “I just want to focus on the performance side of things.” According to other rumors, the president of the FIA, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, has reportedly asked Max Verstappen several times to publicly support Christian Horner. The same Mohammed Ben Sulayem who is now the subject of two investigations: one for allegedly intervening to change the result of the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and the other for allegedly attempting to prevent the Las Vegas circuit from being approved.

Interrogated about his father’s comments, Max Verstappen declared that Jos was “not a liar”. “I suppose he clearly felt that way. But for me, it doesn’t matter to be on one side or the other. Of course, as my father’s son, it would be strange to be on a different side, but I just want to focus on the performance aspect of things,” he explained.

Behind the scenes at Red Bull, tension remains at an all-time high. This situation risks leaving deep scars within the Austrian team, putting its unity and cohesion to the test.