The commencement of the new Formula One season faced significant disruption on Thursday evening as a leaked email surfaced, allegedly containing images of messages between Christian Horner and the female staff member who filed a complaint against him. This email reached media, team members, and senior personnel within F1 and the sport’s governing body, the FIA.
Less than 24 hours after the investigation into Horner’s alleged inappropriate behavior exonerated the Red Bull team principal and dismissed the grievance, speculation and conjecture once again enveloped the sport. The anonymous email circulated during the first race of the season in Bahrain, sent from two different email addresses three times, containing 79 images on a Google Drive link, purportedly showing messages between Horner and the female employee whose complaint prompted Red Bull Racing’s parent company, Red Bull GmbH, to initiate the investigation.
The images were distributed to journalists, team bosses, and figures within the FIA and F1 management, under the subject header “Christian Horner investigation evidence.” The introduction stated, “Following Red Bull’s recent investigation and statements, you will be interested to see the materials attached.” The sender’s identity remains unknown, and the veracity of the content cannot be proven.For video click on the link below.
Before the leaked email emerged, Toto Wolff, emphasizing the need for public disclosure, expressed dissatisfaction with closing the incident without detailing the investigation process. He questioned the sport’s position on transparency, highlighting the importance of addressing critical topics openly.
McLaren team principal Zak Brown echoed Wolff’s sentiments, stressing the need for F1 and the FIA to access the investigation’s findings for transparency and to prevent damage to the sport’s reputation. Until then, speculation would persist due to unanswered questions about the process.
Amid mounting pressure on Red Bull GmbH to share information, Wolff warned that F1 must commit to proving its commitment to ethical behavior. The lack of comments from F1 and the FIA on the investigation outcome or the process itself further fueled uncertainty, as neither party had been privy to information from the inquiry.
Earlier on the same day, Horner expressed his desire to move past recent events and focus on leading his team. However, the parent company’s statement left Horner’s future role as team principal and CEO of Red Bull Racing unclear, leading to speculation about his position. In Bahrain, overseeing his team’s first practice session, Horner emphatically asserted, “I’m not going anywhere,” expressing his honor in leading the team and enthusiasm for defending their world titles.