Christian Horner said midway through his Red Bull internal investigation that it was “business as normal » for the Formula 1 team and star of “Drive to Survive,”…
Christian Horner said midway through his Red Bull internal investigation that it was “business as normal” for the Formula 1 team and star of “Drive to Survive,” and he wasn’t kidding.
Horner in one race weekend alone gave Netflix an entire season of material in what could be the performance of his lifetime. Cleared by Red Bull last week on allegations of misconduct levied against him by a team employee, he moved on to the season-opening race in Bahrain.
Horner has denied wrongdoing from the start, but just when he thought the matter was closed, a trove of alleged evidence against him was sent from a generic email address to more than 100 F1 industry members during the middle of the second practice for the opening race. The authenticity of the files has not been verified by The Associated Press.
He didn’t flinch, walking hand in hand with his wife, former pop star Geri Halliwell, through the paddock. The two even shared a kiss before the start of Saturday’s race.
Then Red Bull Racing does what it does best: totally dominated the field.
Horner celebrated below the podium with Chaleo Yoovidhya, the Thai pharmacist who owns 51% of Red Bull. On Instagram, he posted a five-picture carousel that included photos of Horner next to Yoovidhya, hugging car designer Adrian Newey and another team member, a hug with winner Max Verstappen and an image of him and wife “Ginger Spice.”
“What a weekend. The perfect start to the season,” Horner wrote. “To our stakeholders, our illustrious partners and everyone here in Bahrain, thank you for your unending support and commitment to get us off to the best possible start.”
Is that, like, it?
Apparently not if Verstappen’s father gets his way.
The soap opera since Feb. 5 has been Red Bull’s investigation against Horner and it has been tabloid-level salacious. Red Bull has refused to even discuss what was being looked into, and it won’t reveal the internal report that exonerated Horner despite demands for transparency from future engine partner Ford, which twice in writing has pushed the energy drink maker for answers.
Formula One Management, series owner Liberty Media Co. and governing body FIA have said next to nothing despite calls from rival team principals Toto Wolff of Mercedes and Zak Brown of McLaren for transparency.
