Christian Horner Update: Red Bull Chief Attends Meeting With FIA President
Red Bull team chief Christian Horner was temporarily absent from the pit wall during Free Practice 3. This absence follows his summons to a meeting with FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem. When both Sulayem and Horner returned to the pits they were seen shaking hands and smiling.
Key Takeaways:
- Christian Horner was temporarily absent from the pit wall during FP3, when he returned from the meeting with Ben Sulayem, the pair were seen smiling and shaking hands.
- The controversy stems from leaked documents, including an email leak comprising 79 files, mostly alleged messages between Horner and an accuser.
- The Formula 1 community's attention is now divided between the track and the unfolding controversy, as the meeting between Horner and Ben Sulayem.
The situation gained traction when an email, containing 79 files primarily consisting of what are alleged to be WhatsApp exchanges between Horner and a woman accusing him of inappropriate behaviour, was leaked yesterday evening. The allegations had prompted a detailed inquiry by Red Bull GmbH, which concluded with the dismissal of the complaints against Horner. Despite the investigation's findings, the controversy lingers, with the F1 community calling for more transparency.
The leak, which reached key figures including F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali and FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, has brought the issue to the forefront, necessitating high-level discussions. The meeting between Domenicali and Ben Sulayem in Bahrain, initially aimed to address the leaked documents, now takes on a new dimension with Horner's involvement.
During Sky Sports F1's broadcast of the third practice session, pit lane pundit Ted Kravitz noted that Horner was missing from the pit wall after being called to the meeting with Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
Shortly after, both Horner and Ben Sulayem returned to the pit lane with smiles on their faces as they shook hands before returning to their separate work.