F1’s opening weekend is packing plenty of drama on and off the track.
Just 24 hours after being exonerated from an internal investigation for “inappropriate behavior,” Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team principal Christian Horner finds himself in hot water yet again. A link to dozens of screenshots of alleged conversations between Horner and his former assistant was sent to journalists and F1 personnel, including FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
An anonymous email address sent the alleged evidence to these related parties Thursday evening, though it’s important to note that the origin and authenticity of the contents have yet to be confirmed. The Drive has seen the materials, which by now have been leaked to other public-facing websites.
The Athletic was among the original recipients of the email, which was titled “Christian Horner investigation evidence” and contained 79 files.
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Horner addressed the media in Bahrain Thursday following the leak, reiterating that he denied the allegations and remained fully focused on the 2024 racing season.
“I won’t comment on anonymous speculation, but to reiterate, I have always denied the allegations,” Horner said. “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.”
F1 journalist Chris Medland reported via X that Horner had met with F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali Friday morning, and was set to meet with FIA boss Ben Sulayem later in the day. The outcome of these meetings has not been divulged to the media, though it’s known that the meeting with Domenicali was a lengthy one.
Horner and Red Bull were already facing scrutiny over the issue even before the leak, as several F1 team bosses asked for clarity on the matter. Specifically, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff and McLaren’s Zak Brown showed concern over Red Bull keeping an extra tight lid on the situation and simply calling it a “private matter.”
“My personal opinion is we can’t really look behind the curtain,” Wolff told the media in Bahrain. “At the end of the day, there is a lady in an organization that has spoken to HR and said there was an issue, and it was investigated and yesterday, the sport has received the message that it’s all fine, we’ve looked at it.
“I believe with the aspiration as a global sport, on such critical topics, it needs more transparency, and I wonder what the sport’s position is. We’re competitors, we’re a team and we can have our own personal opinions or not,” Wolff added.
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