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JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia — Christian Horner believes it’s time to “move on” and put the focus back on Formula One’s on-track action, saying “where the spotlight should be.”
But amid the ongoing fallout from allegations against Red Bull Racing’s team principal of inappropriate behavior and more off-track controversies about the FIA, the sport remains under a cloud.
Horner spoke on Thursday at the FIA’s press conference ahead of this weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, just hours after it emerged Red Bull Racing had suspended the female complainant who made the allegations.
The complaint made against Horner was dismissed following an investigation conducted by the King’s Counsel (KC), an independent investigator. According to a person briefed on the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the complainant’s suspension was related to the findings of the investigation.
asked by The Athletic about the suspension, Horner said he “cannot comment on anything confidential between an employee and a company.”
The “move on” comment came during a 30-minute press conference dominated by questions to Horner, who said: “Now is the time to look forward and draw a line under this.” He said it was a “very trying” time for him and his family, during which he said the “interference” had to end. (Horner’s marriage to Geri Halliwell-Horner, a former member of the Spice Girls, prompted increased media coverage, particularly in the UK.)
Horner acknowledged that a series of anonymous leaked messages, allegedly sent between him and the complainant, that emerged last week “got a lot of coverage.” (Last week, he declined to comment on what he called “anonymous, speculative messages from an unknown source.”)
“It’s all geared in one direction,” Horner said. “What happened after that was that others looked to take advantage of that. Unfortunately, Formula One is a competitive business and obviously the elements look to benefit from it. That’s probably the least beautiful part of our industry.”
A recurring question about the case centers on the lack of transparency and details from Red Bull, something highlighted last week by two of Horner’s rival F1 team bosses, Toto Wolff of Mercedes and Zak Brown of McLaren. “I believe that with the aspiration as a global sport on critical topics it needs more transparency,” Wolff said. “I wonder what the position of sport is.”
Announcing the outcome of the investigation, Red Bull GmbH, Red Bull Racing’s parent company, said the report was “confidential” and that it “will not comment further out of respect for all concerned.” This means that the details of the allegations and the grounds on which the complaint was dismissed remain unknown.
Horner highlighted that confidentiality when asked about the need for transparency, particularly given the topic at a time when F1 is pushing for improved inclusivity, and has enjoyed an influx of new and young female fans.
Horner called it a “complicated issue” before noting that it was an internal matter at Red Bull, and that the process was “confidential between the individuals and the company itself.”
“I don’t have that freedom, unfortunately because of those confidentialities, and out of respect for the company and of course the other party, that we’re all bound by the same restrictions,” Horner said. “So even if I wanted to talk about it, I couldn’t, because of those confidentiality restrictions.”
He said it was “not an FIA issue” and “not a Formula One issue,” but a “company-employee issue, and that would be the same in any major organization.”
The FIA, F1’s regulator, has shown zero sign of involvement in the matter. While the president of the FIA, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, told the Financial Times in Bahrain last week that this situation was “damaging the sport,” he also said he did not want to “jump the gun” and start any investigation by of compliance or ethics of the FIA department.
On Thursday, when The Athletic approached the FIA for comment about Red Bull’s decision, a spokesman said they were surprised to be asked about what they called “a team work matter,” and instead suggested contacting F1. A spokesman for F1 itself declined to comment.
The FIA, meanwhile, has its own issues. Its compliance department is investigating its president, Ben Sulayem, over allegations he tampered with the result of last year’s Saudi Arabian GP, as first reported by BBC Sport. The FIA said it had “received a report detailing potential allegations involving several members of its governing bodies” and it was “assessing the concerns”.
BBC Sport subsequently reported that Ben Sulayem was also being investigated for allegedly attempting to prevent the certification of the Las Vegas circuit. An FIA spokesman said that “from a sporting and safety point of view, the approval of the Las Vegas circuit followed the FIA protocol in terms of inspection and certification. “If you recall, there was a delay at the track that made available for inspection due to ongoing construction work by the local organizer.” The same spokesperson also highlighted an interview Ben Sulayem gave to GP Racing magazine in November, in which he explained his support for green-lighting the Las Vegas track layout.
All four team principals at Thursday’s press conference — Horner and Krack were joined by Williams’ James Vowles and Alpine’s Bruno Famin — were asked about the investigations into the FIA president. Famin says we should focus on what’s happening on the track. Krack said from Aston Martin’s perspective, the matter is “clear and closed.” Vowles said he was satisfied with a process put in place, and “as far as I understand, it’s under review, which is the right thing to do.”
The investigations mark the latest in a long line of controversies involving the FIA president. But Horner urged people not to “avoid the facts”.
“There needs to be an investigation,” Horner said. “And I’m sure the relevant parties, and again the process they have within the FIA laws will be followed.
“All I ask is not to be prejudiced. Wait for the facts. Wait to see what the truth is before coming to a judgment.”
As much as Horner may want the focus to be “on the track and going to the races” in F1, the ongoing chaos reflects badly on the sport. There is no escape from that. The past three weeks have seen it reach not only the back pages of newspapers, but also the front pages. People talk about F1 for reasons the sport doesn’t.
“It certainly doesn’t look good to the outside world, from the outside looking in,” Lewis Hamilton said on Wednesday. “This is a really, really important time for sport to show and stick to their values, hold ourselves accountable for our actions.” He called it a “really, really pivotal moment” for F1, for the message it sends to the rest of the world.
“I hope this is not a year that it continues,” Hamilton said. “It highlights some of the issues that we also have in sport, when we talk about diversity and inclusion that includes gender, for example, and making people feel comfortable in this environment is key. And obviously that is not the case.”
Horner is right in saying that the on-track action is “where the spotlight should be” for F1. But as long as these questions and doubts remain, that spotlight will remain elsewhere.
(Top photo of Christian Horner and Mohammed Ben Sulayem at the Bahrain Formula One GP: ANDREJ ISAKOVIC / AFP))
