The situation around Christian Horner, the head of Red Bull Racing, is becoming increasingly more complicated. Amidst an ongoing investigation into alleged inappropriate conduct towards a female team member, initiated by Red Bull GmbH, the Team Principal who’s been with them since 2005, finally made a public appearance at the RB20’s launch for the upcoming 2024 season on Thursday. Despite the swirling rumors in the F1 paddock, he maintained his position at the forefront of the event, turning away any speculations that he might step down. But just a day later, the saga has now taken another dramatic turn when De Telegraaf, the Dutch publication that first brought the issue to light on February 5th, escalated the matter with further details. De Telegraaf has reportedly gotten a hold of message exchanges between Christian Horner and a female employee at Red Bull, revealing a troubling series of sexually suggestive messages sent by Horner over an extended timeframe. This revelation points to a persistent pattern of behavior rather than sporadic incidents, casting the allegations in a more serious light than mere questions about Horner’s leadership or interpersonal dynamics within the team.
The investigation has shifted from Herer’s professional conduct to allegations of personal misconduct. According to the Telegraph, Herer allegedly offered to settle the matter for $650,000 or $760,000.
The offer made by Herner’s legal team to the complainant’s representative may have been an attempt to keep the complainant quiet. These communications were documented and brought to the attention of Red Bull gmbh’s compliance Department in Fel at the end of 2023, resulting in the appointment of an independent investigative lawyer. Motorsport total.com According to Z findings, Herer was offered a dignified exit strategy to step down for health reasons, but he declined. Sources close to Herer claim that no such offer was ever made. On February 9th, he was interrogated for over 9 hours by an investigative lawyer and presented with evidence. The Telegraph claims to have accessed a file containing allegations against Christian Herer, based on employee reports. Herer has taken legal action against the newspaper for publishing detailed allegations for the first time, as reported by Motorsport Total.com. herner however remains absolutely Resolute in his denial of the allegations and his continuation in in his role at Red Bull while speaking to various media outlets at the rb2s launch event on Thursday he stated well I think it’s been very clear and the position of Red Bull has been that it’s business as normal of course the allegations are a process that Red Bull is running through and have confirmed that process externally but obviously there’s a job to do I deny fully the accusations that have been made and my role obviously continues I’m confident in the process and working with the process process I deny absolutely any allegation that has been made against me and yeah you know it I just continue to work within that process until it’s concluded he added reinforcing his stance amidst the ongoing scrutiny some insiders also insist the relationship between Herner and Jos stappen has been badly damaged the emergence of this controversial story first Making Waves in a Dutch publication only fuels speculation about underlying tensions but Herer addressed these rumors dismissing any claims made of a power struggle and purported tensions with the vapen family no that’s not correct Horna clarified that he was with Yos and Max a few days ago at Silverstone. Max is fully focused on his job and is very supportive. Max Verstappen, the three-time world champion, has also spoken out to dispel rumors of a rift between him and Herner. He stated that they have seen each other a few times and achieved a lot of things together, so there is no sudden change. I don’t know who likes to write these things, but to me, Christian is always focused on my own performance to get ready to drive the car and discuss what I want to do with the engineers. My life is not only about F1 when I’m at home; there are many things going on in the background for me. Red Bull Racing will not comment on the ongoing inquiry until it is concluded. Jos and Red Bull’s Motorsport Consultant Helmet. Marco has not shared much information about the incident. Marco only made a public statement on Thursday at the RB’s launch event, stating that he cannot comment on the matter. When asked if he will meet Herer at Red Bull Racing’s Factory, Marco responded that he will not say anything until the investigation is completed. This is a continuing case. I wish to resolve the tensions caused by recent public allegations. Marco apparently turned off his cell phone. The ongoing investigation into Christian Hoer has impacted Red Bull Racing’s future collaboration with Ford, which is expected to be resolved. The British daily The Times reported on Red Bull’s plan to expedite the probe to gain clarity on the matter. Planetf1.com contacted Red Bull for a statement, but they declined to comment until the investigation into the charges was concluded. Christian Horner has gained support from Red Bull’s majority stakeholder, Chalm Uidia, who owns 51% of the company. This outweighs the 49% stake held by Dietrich Mait’s son, Mark Mateschitz, who is not a fan of Horner. Liberty Media, the owner of Formula One, is also closely monitoring Horner’s situation due to the serious allegations.
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