The female Red Bull employee who accused Christian Horner of inappropriate behaviour has lodged a formal complaint with the FIA’s ethics committee, according to reports. Horner was recently cleared of the allegations following a Red Bull investigation, which was led by a top independent lawyer and saw the 50-year-old face hours of intense questioning.
The employee in question stayed in her role after the investigation but did not travel to Bahrain or Saudi Arabia for the opening two races of the season. She was later suspended on full pay but is now said to have taken up the matter with the FIA after lodging a complaint to the governing body.
The woman has registered an official grievance with the FIA’s ethics committee in relation to Horner’s behaviour, according to BBC Sport. The report adds that she has appealed Red Bull’s decision to clear Horner of any wrongdoing and is set to ask the team’s hierarchy to reconsider.
A spokesperson for Red Bull told the BBC they were unaware of the complaint and did not wish to comment further. It is also said that two separate whistleblower complaints have been registered with the FIA over the last few weeks, with one being submitted in February and another in early March.
The saga has contributed to increased tensions at Red Bull, with Max Verstappen’s father Jos recently calling for Horner to be relieved of his duties. Meanwhile, the latter has consistently denied the allegations made against him and insisted at last weekend’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix that it was time to ‘draw a line’ under the topic.
“Obviously there’s been an awful lot of coverage surrounding this but one has to go back to the basis that a grievance was raised, it was investigated, and it was dismissed,” said Horner. “Obviously it’s been of great interest to different elements of the media for different reasons. I think it is time now to draw a line under it.”
Quizzed further on the investigation process, Horner added: “The reality is that there was a grievance raised, it was dealt with in the most professional manner by the group, that appointed an independent KC, one of the most reputable in the land. He took time to investigate all the facts. He looked at everything and he came to a conclusion where he dismissed the grievance.
“As far as I’m concerned, as far as Red Bull is concerned, we move on.”
The saga has taken place at the centre of an internal power struggle at Red Bull but there is no sign that Horner is set to leave his role as things stand. Chalerm Yoovidhya, who owns 51 per cent of the Red Bull company, is thought to be supportive of Horner and is reportedly opposed to any notion of the 50-year-old being dismissed.
