Endless Horner case: sexual chats published

The “Horner case” is destined to leave his mark on this season for a long time F1 2024 close to go. Although Red Bull’s internal investigation has officially cleared the team principal for twenty years at the helm of the team born from the ashes of Jaguarnew implications of this page in the history of the returned team emerge since three years at the top of the highest Formula thanks to the titles of Max Verstappen.

COMPROMITING SCREENSHOTS

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In fact, in the last few hours they were disclosed via an anonymous email sent to around a hundred insiders screenshot of some chat compromising documents attributed to Christian Horner. New elements that, if its authenticity was confirmedwould weigh like rocks on the credibility of the English team principal jeopardizing his position again within the reigning world champion team among drivers and manufacturers. Some passages are quite compromising, at a certain point for example the colleague asks Horner: “What do you want me to wear on the plane tomorrow?”. And he: “I don’t care. It’s more interesting what you wear under your clothes…”. Every now and then faces of him appear, asking for comments. At a certain point, however, you see a photo, blurry, without comment: it looks like a finger. Then continued sexual innuendos, with the woman appearing to play along for a while. Then, the change of direction: she writes “I don’t understand how it is possible that happily married men indulge in certain attitudes”. Horner feels the blow, defends himself, apologizes and says “I wouldn’t want you to have thought of a sexual assault, I apologize”. And, again, the team principal – married to his ex Spice Girls Geri Halliwell, who a month ago said she “does not believe certain speculations” – who asks the woman to delete all conversations. Was she already coming up with something? Horner had smelled something burning and was probably trying to take action. Too late, perhaps.

THE BEGINNING OF THE SCANDAL IN EARLY FEBRUARY

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The scandal emerged last year February 5with an article in the Dutch sports newspaper De Telegraaf signed by Erik Van Harennotoriously close to the family of Max Verstappen and therefore well informed about the situation within Red Bull. According to Van Haren, Christian Horner had been placed under internal investigation by Red Bull for “inappropriate” behavior towards an employee of the team. About ten days later it was the same De Telegraaf to provide further implications on the caseor, alleging that Horner had engaged in conduct “sexually transgressive” towards the employee. The same team manager would have offered the woman a large sum of money, approximately 760,000 Euros, in exchange for his silence. Also in those days he started talking about “chat” texts that confirmed the employee’s accusations.

HORNER EXEMPT. Or not?

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In the meantime Red Bull’s sporting activity has never stoppedwith the “vernissage” of Silverstone and therefore the presentation of the brand new one Red Bull RB20 entrusted as always to Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez. The Milton Keynes team’s internal investigation continued and in recent hours Horner has been “exonerated” of all charges, maintaining the role of team-principal. Today, however, the spread of the chats which effectively reopens this case.

WOLFF AND BROWN’S REACTIONS

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Unanimous the reaction of the team principals of Mercedes And McLaren, Toto Wolff and Zak Brown. According to Wolff, “the few lines issued by Red Bull in its press release they are not enough to clarify the situation. For a sport like Formula One that aspires to one global importanceyou need one greater transparency. Such a delicate topic cannot be left vague, and I believe that professionals and organizers have the duty to examine the situation thoroughly before continuing”. For Brown”must be provided more information and it must be traced a clear line on this case. You need to be sure that the maximum transparencyin order to avoid the emergence of continuations speculations. About this story there are many unanswered questions and I don’t believe this can benefit our sport”.