Christian Horner Cleared of Misconduct as Appeal Fails

Christian Horner, Red Bull team principal has faced a rejected appeal against the investigation that cleared him of misconduct. In December, the complainant accused Horner of coercive, abusive behavior, and sexual harassment. Following an internal investigation by an independent lawyer, Red Bull cleared Horner of any wrongdoing in February. Horner, 50, has consistently denied the allegations.

An additional independent lawyer reviewed the appeal and confirmed that the original decision would stand. Red Bull accepted and adopted the lawyer’s conclusions, emphasized its commitment to employee privacy and declined to make further public comments on the matter. Since March, Red Bull has suspended the complainant, citing dishonesty as the reason.

The company has not addressed her current employment status or provided further details about the case, maintaining confidentiality since the investigation’s conclusion. The day after dismissing the complaint, messages that purportedly involved Christian Horner leaked to around 150 senior Formula 1 personnel and media. Horner described these as “anonymous, speculative messages from an unknown source” and refused to comment on their content.

Amidst these controversies, Red Bull’s design chief, Adrian Newey announced his departure from the team in early 2025, attributing his decision to the recent controversies. As the 2024 F1 season resumes after the summer break with the Dutch Grand Prix on August 23, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen leads the drivers’ championship and aims for a fourth consecutive title.