Christian Horner may have thought it was all over, but it certainly isn’t now.
The Red Bull Racing team principal was cleared of accusations of inappropriate and “controlling” behaviour on Wednesday afternoon, but just 24 hours later an anonymous email was sent to an array of journalists and F1 officials purporting to contain incriminating evidence against Horner.
This has led to the news that F1 chief executive Stefano Domenicali and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem met with Horner on Friday to discuss the investigation.
Here’s everything we know so far about the allegations against Horner, the alleged leaks and what he’s said about the whole affair.
What we know about the Christian Horner leaks
On Thursday afternoon, an anonymous email account – [email protected] – sent a Google Drive containing 79 files to hundreds of journalists, F1 chiefs and other senior figures in motorsport.
These contained texts and images, some of which were of a sexually suggestive nature, allegedly taken from conversations between Horner and the female colleague who initially raised the complaint against him.
It is important to note here there is no confirmation these files were real or had any relation to Horner, who has denied the allegations and called the leaks “anonymous speculation from unknown sources”.
We also do not know why the files were shared, or who shared them, and Horner issued a legal letter from Harbottle & Lewis threatening to sue any organisation that made the messages public.
It has been reported there may be further leaks to come.
The timeline of the Christian Horner affair
This all started on 5 February, when Red Bull confirmed Horner was facing an investigation into allegations of inappropriate and “controlling” behaviour, which the 50-year-old has repeatedly denied, following a story broken by a German outlet.
Four days later, Horner was then grilled for 10 hours by a King’s Counsel barrister, in which he robustly defended himself against the complaint, as part of an independent investigation ordered by Red Bull Racing’s Austrian parent company.
He continued to make public appearances, including at Red Bull’s 2024 car launch and in Bahrain for the first race of the season.
And on Wednesday, he was formally cleared of any claims of wrongdoing by Red Bull, who reportedly produced a “confidential” report thought to stretch to 150 pages.
Their official statement read: “The independent investigation into the allegations made against Mr Horner is complete, and Red Bull can confirm that the grievance has been dismissed.
“The complainant has a right of appeal. Red Bull is confident that the investigation has been fair, rigorous and impartial.
“The investigation report is confidential and contains the private information of the parties and third parties who assisted in the investigation, and therefore we will not be commenting further out of respect for all concerned. Red Bull will continue striving to meet the highest workplace standards.”
And at this point, Horner said: “I am pleased that the process is over, and I cannot comment about it.
“I am here to focus on the grand prix and the season ahead and trying to defend both of our titles. I can’t give you any further comment, but the process has been conducted and concluded.
“I am pleased to be here in Bahrain, and with the team, focused on the season ahead. Within the team, it (the unity) has never been stronger.”
Yet just 24 hours later, the anonymous email restarted discussions of these allegations anew and Horner met with Domenicali and Ben Sulayem on Friday afternoon.
What Christian Horner has said about the leaks
After the files were leaked on Thursday night, Horner said: “I won’t comment on anonymous speculation, but to reiterate, I have always denied the allegations. I respected the integrity of the independent investigation and fully cooperated with it every step of the way.
“It was a thorough and fair investigation conducted by an independent specialist barrister and it has concluded, dismissing the complaint made. I remain fully focused on the start of the season.”
He was asked again on Friday as he walked to the paddock, saying: “I am not going to comment on anonymous speculation from unknown sources.” Asked what the next steps were, he replied: “We go racing.”
Red Bull have refused to comment on the leaks.
What the Christian Horner leaks mean for Red Bull
This is currently unclear, but it definitely isn’t good.
It means they start the 2024 F1 season under a huge cloud of controversy, which could impact their title defence as Max Verstappen bids to win four consecutive drivers’ championships.
If the contents of the leaks eventually leads to Horner losing his job anyway, Red Bull will likely come under huge scrutiny for the thoroughness of their investigation and their treatment of staff.
And if Horner chooses to step away from his role as a result of the pressure, the team he’s led since 2005 will need a new principal, and fast.
