08 March 2024 , 10:12
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Christian Horner 's accuser has been suspended by Red Bull as a result of the investigation that looked into the Formula 1 boss' "inappropriate behaviour".
The world champion team conducted an internal investigation when the female staff member came forward with allegations of inappropriate behaviour, which later cleared Horner before the season opener in Bahrain. However messages, allegedly between Horner and the staff member, have since been leaked to the press.
That meant the scandal remained the talk of the paddock during the season opener, with Red Bull and Horner having to field questions regarding rumours of internal issues, despite Max Verstappen leading home a 1-2 last weekend. PA understands that the staff member has been suspended on full pay by Red Bull as a direct result of their inquiry, with Horner calling for an end to the scandal during his press conference on Thursday.
The team principal said: “I am afraid I can’t comment on anything that is confidential between an employee and the company. There is a grievance process that takes place in any company, and that process is confidential between the individuals and the company itself.
“I am not at liberty, due to those confidentiality (reasons) and out of respect to the company, and the other party, we are all bound by those same restrictions. So even if I would like to talk about it, I can’t because of those confidentiality restrictions.”
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Heading into the second Grand Prix of the season in Saudi Arabia, Horner hopes that the focus can shift away from issues off the track to those on them.
He said: "Obviously there has been a lot of coverage surrounding this, but one has to go back to the basis of a grievance was raised, it was fully investigated, and it was dismissed. From there we move onwards. I think an awful lot has been made out of this. Obviously it has been of great interest in different elements of the media for different reasons. I think the time now is to look forward and draw a line under it.
The team principal was cleared by an internal investigation"We are here to go racing, we are here as a Formula 1 team, and the time now is to focus on what is going on on track and the performance of the cars and the drivers, where the spotlight should be during the course of a Grand Prix weekend."
Despite conducting their internal investigation and considering the matter closed, Red Bull have refused to name the lawyer involved or explain why the decision to dismiss the complaint was made.
Horner added: “The reality is, is that there was a grievance that was raised, it was dealt with in the most professional manner, by the group, not by Red Bull Racing, but by the owners of Red Bull Racing, Red Bull GmbH, that appointed an independent KC, that is one of the most reputable KCs in the land, and he took time to investigate fully all of the facts."