Pranav Mathur, Pune
It was announced on Thursday that the accuser of Christian Horner has been suspended just ahead of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in Jeddah. The Red Bull team principal broke the news after arriving in Jeddah without his wife who is always by his side.
The female employee has accused Christian of “coercive behavior” but the claim was soon dismissed once the investigation was done. But this doesn’t save Horner’s place at the team, as there is tension that rises within the team, with Jos Verstappen (father of Max Verstappen) insinuating that the principal leaves the team.
Jos took to the public platform in openly criticizing the team head and his ways in managing the team. While all allegations of him being sexually intrusive with female employees have been taken down, a threat still looms over his head. Just before the Bahrain Grand Prix, Jos Verstappen spoke to the media suggesting that Horner steps down from his position for the good of the team. This came as a shock to the motorsport world, as Christian Horner has been an integral part of the Red Bull Racing fraternity for a very long time. He has helped the team win a whopping six constructor championships, and created two world champions in Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen, both winning their first championships at Red Bull.
With the allegations of coercive behaviors and Jos Verstappen suggesting that he steps down, the future of the team principal seems to be wavering down the wrong path. Horner was cleared of any wrongdoing even after evidence was allegedly leaked, in an attempt to force him out of his position. This also means that there are multiple people in the team who do not want him there.
While the three time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen has not openly sided with his father on his allegations, he has not been distant from any of the statements that were made. He went on to say that while he hasn’t spoken to his father about what was said, he knows that his father isn’t a liar. This created speculations on Verstappen’s future, which were immediately shut down by him saying that the decision to stay at Red Bull remains the same regardless of his father’s comments.