It’s now or never for FIA to take action on Christian Horner

Formula 1 has faced massive backlash from fans and the media in the past few weeks. Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner was put under investigation by the team’s parent company. As the Briton was accused of inappropriate behavior by a female employee. The 50-year-old was cleared of all allegations. However, an alleged evidence leak reignited the entire saga. Now, the FIA has received a complaint against Horner from the said employee.

The Red Bull employee complained to the FIA’s Ethics Committee regarding Horner’s behavior. The female employee was recently suspended from Milton Keynes. Although no official reason was released to the public. The sports governing body will need to take action on this matter at the earliest. However, the Mohammed Ben Sulayem-led organization has refrained from sharing any details.

On the other hand, Christian Horner has continued to deny all accusations time and time again. The Red Bull team boss even urged fans to move on from the entire situation since the verdict had been released. Although, things could take an interesting turn in the coming days as controversies continue to surface in Formula 1.

Christian Horner’s case has tarnished F1’s reputation

Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motorsport with Red Bull Racing being one of the biggest teams on the grid. As such, Christian Horner is a massive and influential figure on the grid. The 50-year-old is a role model for millions of fans across the globe who tune in every race weekend to watch a Grand Prix.

The allegations on Horner came as a massive shock to the paddock. Fans urged Red Bull and F1 to take severe action on the 50-year-old if the claims were found to be true. Even after Red Bull GmbH cleared Christian Horner, the Austrian giant did not reveal any details of the incident or the claims.

This raised suspicion among fans and pundits. Moreover, Red Bull’s decision to suspend the female employee further created controversy. For a sport as big as Formula 1, every incident has a massive impact, especially in sensitive cases such as the inappropriate behavior allegations on Horner.

However, the sheer lack of transparency has tarnished the reputation of the sport as a whole. It has highlighted that even the allegations or evidence are not disclosed to the public when a white man is in a powerful position. On the other hand, the accuser is suspended within a few days after the verdict was released.

FIA allegedly lied about not receiving any complaints against Christian Horner

The FIA had urged Red Bull to have a fair and transparent process for Horner’s investigation. However, FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem acknowledged that the entire saga had damaged the sport on a human level. Moreover, Ben Sulayem claimed that the sports governing body could not take action due to not receiving any direct complaints against Christian Horner.

However, the BBC recently reported that the FIA had indeed received two whistleblower complaints over the entire situation, as early as February 2. Although, the sports governing body has not commented on this report, it further damages the image of the sport. This could be interpreted by many as the organization trying to keep Horner out of trouble despite the severity of the allegations.

Subsequently, it will be necessary for the FIA to take the right steps against Christian Horner if the 50-year-old is found to be guilty. Although, it must be noted that for now, Horner remains innocent until the allegations are deemed true.

FIA is facing its own troubles

The sports governing body is facing its own share of issues at the moment. Mohammed Ben Sulayem will be investigated for two alleged actions. The 62-year-old allegedly tried to interfere with an F1 race result last season. Moreover Ben Sulayem has been accused of trying to withhold the Las Vegas GP certification.

As such, the FIA has already been under fire in light of recent events. This makes it even more important for the sports governing body to take appropriate action on Christian Horner. Additionally, taking action on Horner could resolidify the power of the FIA after facing flak from the paddock over the allegations on Ben Sulayem.

Christian Horner’s case might discourage women from entering motorsport

Motorsport is a male-dominated field. Female participation in the racing world is marginal compared to men. Although, steps have been taken in recent years including F1 Academy. However, the progress in bringing more women to motorsport could collapse instantly amidst the Christian Horner saga.

If no action is taken on Horner with continued lack of transparency, it could signal that F1 might not be a safe environment for women. Even the Team Principal of the one of the biggest F1 teams could allegedly behave inappropriately with an employee. Subsequently, many would question the safety of women in the world of racing.

Moreover, if the FIA fails to properly investigate the case, many women could decide to leave motorsport altogether. As one could believe that the sports governing body was more inclined to the interest of the alleged culprit. However, it should be kept in mind that Horner has not been found guilty of the allegations so far.

The lack of women’s safety in the workplace in F1 could open up a much larger debate. F1 should be setting the benchmark of safety for women rather than being under fire with such accusations. As such, the FIA will need to ensure that it provides adequate information regarding the case irrespective of the verdict to reaffirm that safety remains an utmost priority.

A Red Bull turmoil will affect F1

It is no surprise that Red Bull Racing has been facing a difficult time since the news of Christian Horner’s investigation was released. So much so that Max Verstappen‘s father Jos Verstappen claimed that Milton Keynes was in turmoil over the recent events. However, Horner stayed put as Team Principal even during the investigation.

The 50-year-old continues to fulfill his duties at the team. However, tensions have been on the rise as per reports. Even Max Verstappen and aero genius Adrian Newey were rumored to be ready to leave Red Bull if Horner was not ousted.

As such, an official investigation could provide a more definitive answer to Milton Keynes. This could finally put an end to the alleged rift within Red Bull Racing and bring things back to normal. Ultimately, this would benefit the reigning world champions irrespective of the verdict.

Certainly, the FIA has a lot of pressure on its shoulders to take action on Christian Horner. The Ethics Committee of the sports governing body will examine all evidences and take the right steps. As such, the entire sporting world would be looking forward to the FIA’s verdict on the Red Bull team boss in the coming weeks.

In case you missed it:

• How Lewis Hamilton challenged the status quo in a white man’s sport
• Did Fernando Alonso sabotage his own F1 career by playing politics?

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