Christian Horner and Max Verstappen’s father have ‘heated’ exchange at Bahrain GP
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Christian Horner’s female colleague who accused the Red Bull F1 boss of “inappropriate behaviour” is set to appeal the outcome of the internal investigation, according to reports.
Horner was cleared of any wrongdoing after a month-long probe, conducted by an external lawyer, while the woman who made the allegations was suspended by Red Bull last week. She does have a right to appeal, though, and The Sun report that she is set to appeal after changing her legal representation, with the deadline today.
The latest development comes after Horner’s wife Geri Halliwell showed up alongside her husband at Saturday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in another show of solidarity. Max Verstappen won the race, despite a dramatic weekend in which he was linked with a move to Mercedes amid in-fighting within the team.
The team’s long-term motorsport adviser Helmut Marko will now also stay with the team, after talks with Red Bull GmbH chief Oliver Mintzlaff in Jeddah, when initial reports suggested the 80-year-old may be suspended.
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Christian Horner – latest news
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LATEST: Female colleague ‘set to appeal’ outcome of Red Bull probe
Christian Horner’s female colleague who accused the Red Bull F1 boss of “inappropriate behaviour” is set to appeal the outcome of the internal investigation, according to reports.
Horner was cleared of any wrongdoing after a month-long probe, conducted by an external lawyer, while the woman who made the allegations was suspended by Red Bull last week. She does have a right to appeal, though, and The Sun report that she is set to appeal after changing her legal representation, with the deadline today.
The team’s long-term motorsport adviser Helmut Marko will now also stay with the team, after talks with Red Bull GmbH chief Oliver Mintzlaff in Jeddah, when initial reports suggested the 80-year-old may be suspended.
(Getty Images)
Kieran Jackson12 March 2024 09:52
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PREMIUM: How Girl Power Geri turned into the ultimate ‘surrendered wife’
First here’s a look back at what has happened so far:
The timing couldn’t have been more unfortunate. It was the day of the Brits, the awards show for which, back in 1997, Geri Halliwell sewed a Union Jack tea towel onto a black micro-mini dress, creating an image that would remain lodged in the national consciousness forever.
That Geri, the one with her knickers on display and blonde streaks in her flame-red hair, was cheeky, fun, supremely confident: the embodiment of the Girl Power message the Spice Girls promoted everywhere they went. Men were nice, they declared, but women didn’t need them to make their dreams come true. They could achieve that all by themselves – or, better still, in union with their female friends.
How Girl Power Geri turned into the ultimate ‘surrendered wife’
The sight of the former pop star standing by her partner after humiliating allegations of his ‘coercive behaviour’ towards a female colleague and a sexting scandal was too much for many fans. But those who know her say Geri has a long history of reinvention and she is just doubling down in her latest ‘role’. Polly Dunbar reports
Kieran Jackson12 March 2024 18:45
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‘I’d love to have him’: Toto Wolff reacts to Max Verstappen unrest at Red Bull
Verstappen’s Red Bull future is in the spotlight amid the in-fighting at Formula One’s dominant franchise.
The Dutchman, who won Saturday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to land his second win of the season – and his ninth in a row – opened the door to sensationally quitting Red Bull if motorsport adviser Helmut Marko is forced out.
It emerged this weekend that Marko could be suspended as a result of Red Bull’s inquiry into Horner, although the 80-year-old Austrian said prior to Saturday’s race that he expects to carry on.
However, the unrest at Red Bull has put Mercedes – seeking a replacement for Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton in 2025 – on red alert.
Kieran Jackson12 March 2024 17:21
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Christiann Horner admits Max Verstappen could leave Red Bull
“It’s like anything in life, you can’t force somebody to be somewhere just because of a piece of paper,” Horner said after Saturday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
“If somebody didn’t want to be in this team, then we’re not going to force somebody against their will to be here.
“That applies whether it is a machine operator or a designer or someone in one of the support functions that runs through the business.”
(AP)
Kieran Jackson12 March 2024 16:31
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Christian Horner accused of putting ‘PR spin’ on F1 scandal with Mother’s Day tribute
The CEO and team principal of Red Bull Racing was accused and then cleared of “inappropriate behaviour” towards a female colleague, who has since been suspended following an internal investigation.
On Mother’s Day (Sunday 10 March), the 50-year-old shared a picture of Halliwell holding their son, along with a caption about his appreciation for mothers. He included images of his daughter, as well as a picture of what appeared to be his own mother.
Kieran Jackson12 March 2024 14:52
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COMMENT: On International Women’s Day, Red Bull’s suspension of Christian Horner’s accuser is truly shocking
Another day in Formula 1’s never-ending soap opera – and another day further away from a conclusion to a story which threatens to rip Red Bull, and the sport, apart.
To recap the latest developments, early on Thursday it emerged that the female colleague, who raised allegations of “inappropriate, coercive behaviour” against Red Bull F1 boss Christian Horner which were cleared by an internal probe, had been suspended on full pay by Red Bull Racing.
While we don’t yet know the grounds for her suspension and whether it could be lifted, the optics of this situation, now, are beyond unpalatable. It is shocking that Formula 1 – a sport that has prided itself on making such strides on inclusivity and diversity in recent years – has allowed the matter to stretch to this point. The message it sends, on the eve of the all-female racing series F1 Academy starting its second season on International Women’s Day, is truly terrible.
Kieran Jackson12 March 2024 13:45
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Ferrari looking to ‘poach key Red Bull engineers’ amid tension at Christian Horner’s team
Ferrari are reportedly eyeing three key Red Bull engineers as the Scuderia look to take advantage of the current unrest at the F1 world champions.
The saga involving Christian Horner and a female colleague accusing him of “inappropriate behaviour” – though the team principal was cleared after an internal probe – has uncovered numerous tensions within the Red Bull camp.
Another tumultuous weekend in Saudi Arabia saw star driver Max Verstappen threaten to leave if adviser Helmut Marko was forced out. Red Bull GmbH chief Oliver Mintzlaff played down those rumours, with all involved keen to move on despite the continued protestations of Max’s father, Jos.
However Ferrari, lagging far behind Red Bull alongside the rest of the grid this season, are looking to capitalise on the situation by signing up key aerodynamicists and performance engineers for 2025, when Lewis Hamilton joins the team from Mercedes.
Italian outlet Gazzetta Dello Sport says Ferrari are eyeing an approach to Red Bull’s leader of aerodynamic development Alessandro Germani, head of performance Ben Waterhouse and on-track aerodynamic officer David Morgan.
(Getty Images)
Kieran Jackson12 March 2024 12:51
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Max Verstappen says Helmut Marko ‘has to stay’ at Red Bull
“If such an important pillar falls away, it is not good for my situation and I have told the team that,” Verstappen said.
“He is an important part in my decision-making for the future. For me, Helmut has to stay. I have a lot of respect for him, and what we have achieved together. It goes very far.
“He has built this team together with Dietrich [Mateschitz] from day one. And he’s always been very loyal to the team, to everyone within the team, to make sure that everyone would keep their positions already from back in the day.
“I think it’s also very important, of course, that you give the man a lot of respect for what he has done. And that comes back also to loyalty, you know, and integrity. So, yeah, for sure, it’s important that he stays part of the team, also for me.”
Red Bull Racing advisor Helmut Marko (left) speaks to Max Verstappen (Tim Goode/PA)
(PA Archive)
Kieran Jackson12 March 2024 12:16
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Felipe Massa sues F1 and Bernie Ecclestone over £62m in damages after Lewis Hamilton’s 2008 title win
Some big news broke yesterday….
The Brazilian driver is seeking an admission that the sport’s lawmakers failed to adequately investigate the 2008 ‘Crashgate’ scandal. The subsequent impact the inaugural race in Singapore had on that year’s championship was clear after Hamilton won on the final lap of the final race as then-Ferrari star Massa missed out by a single point.
New comments in 2023, by Ecclestone, about the scandal in Singapore encouraged Massa to take legal action, with his lawyers sending an eight-page ‘Letter Before Claim’ to F1 and the FIA last August, alleging their client was the “victim of a conspiracy”.
Having not received an appropriate response, Massa confirmed on Monday that his lawyers have filed suit in London’s High Court. The 42-year-old is seeking more than £62m ($80m) in damages and an admission that the FIA violated their own regulations in not properly investigating Nelson Piquet Jr’s crash. Massa believes that if the crash was appropriately scrutinised, he would have been crowned 2008 champion over Hamilton.
Kieran Jackson12 March 2024 11:32
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Red Bull respond to Horner exit claims
After reports in the Austrian press that Horner could be fired prior to the Australian Grand Prix (24 March), Red Bull released the following statement:
“As Christian has said, he is grateful for the full support of the shareholders and that remains the case.”
Kieran Jackson12 March 2024 11:04
