Could the FIA sack Christian Horner over alleged LEAKED evidence against the Red Bull team boss?
The sports governing body might be forced to take action on Christian Horner after an alleged leak of evidence against the 50-year-old.
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Mohammed Ben Sulayem [L] Christian Horner [R] (Via: Imago)
Christian Horner has been making headlines for the wrong reasons lately. The 50-year-old was put under investigation by Red Bull against claims of inappropriate behavior. The Briton was cleared of all allegations by the Austrian giant. However, things have taken a turn since a massive anonymous leak exposed alleged evidence in this case. This pegs the question, Can the FIA sack Christian Horner?
The sports governing body released a statement about the entire saga before its conclusion. The Mohammed Ben Sulayem-led organization claimed that it would wait until the process was over before taking any further steps while advocating for fairness and inclusivity in the sport. However, the FIA has not given an official comment on Horner since he was dismissed from all claims or even regarding the data breach.
The FIA International Sporting Code has specific provisions that focus on the values of the sports governing body. Article 12.2.1.f forbids any words, deeds, or writings that could cause moral injury or loss to FIA and its stakeholders. Moreover, Article 12.2.1.k labels ‘any misconduct’ as a breach of the sporting regulations including members of competitors such as Red Bull’s Christian Horner. This regulation change was brought in for 2024.
The FIA might not be able to directly sack Christian Horner
The FIA’s International Sporting Code focuses on penalizing drivers for misconduct or offenses. F1 drivers can be given fines as high as €1 million. While the sports governing body could even suspend certain individuals for grave offenses. However, as an F1 Team Principal, any such action on Christian Horner might need to be taken by an ASN or a National Sports Authority.
Article 12.10.2 of the sporting code mentions that a suspension shall only be imposed by an ASN. This penalty would prohibit Horner from participating in any competitions held by the particular ASN in case of a national suspension. However, Christian Horner would be banned from participating in any competitions in all countries where the authority of the FIA is recognized if it was an international suspension.
Certainly, it remains to be seen if the FIA takes any action on Christian Horner over the recent events. The 50-year-old continues to deny all accusations and anonymous speculation. However, it is clear that the F1 paddock will be immersed in this case for the coming weeks.
In case you missed it:
- McLaren SLAMS Red Bull over lack of ‘complete transparency’ around the infamous Christian Horner investigation
- Toto Wolf SLAMS Red Bull for lack of ‘transparency’ in findings of inappropriate behavior investigation into Christian Horner
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Armaan Agarwal
(2435 Articles Published)