Red Bull Suspends Employee Who Accused Christian Horner of Misconduct

Red Bull Racing has suspended a female employee who accused team principal Christian Horner of inappropriate and controlling behavior. The suspension follows an internal investigation that cleared Horner of the allegations, with Red Bull citing dishonesty as the reason for the employee’s suspension.

The controversy began in early 2024 when the employee lodged a complaint against Horner, alleging coercive and sexually inappropriate conduct. Red Bull initiated an internal investigation led by an independent barrister, which concluded that the grievance was unfounded. The company dismissed the complaint, stating that the investigation was fair, rigorous, and impartial .

Despite the dismissal, the situation escalated when a series of private messages, purportedly exchanged between Horner and the accuser, were leaked to F1 officials and media outlets. Horner denied the authenticity of the messages and declined to comment further, citing the ongoing investigation .

Following the leak, Red Bull’s main shareholder, Chalerm Yoovidhya, expressed support for Horner, while sources indicated a divide between the Thai side of Red Bull and the Austrian headquarters over the handling of the matter .

The employee has the right to appeal the decision, and Red Bull has stated that it respects the privacy of all its employees and will not comment further on the matter .

This development adds to the ongoing scrutiny surrounding Horner’s leadership amid the broader controversy, which has affected team dynamics and public perception.