Christian Horner is expected to maintain his high status at the Bahrain Grand Prix. Photo: Getty Images/Qian Jun
When Christian Horner returned to the Formula One paddock on Thursday morning under the desert sun, he could bask in the warm glow of liberation. Even for someone with his chutzpah, the past month has been difficult as every aspect of his reputation was scrutinized in the paddock court. He would be forgiven, after the stress of maintaining a semblance of normalcy when his career was in danger of falling apart, for never wanting to utter the words «ongoing process» ever again.
Yet you have to wonder whether the 89-word statement from Red Bull's Salzburg headquarters declaring the investigation into Horner's conduct «concluded» really signals the end of the saga. On the face of it, the team rhetoric in Bahrain will be to turn the page and enjoy the 24 races ahead. But can there really be peace and goodwill for all people if the company doesn't mention the specific charges Horner was acquitted of?
Despite Red Bull's confidence in the rigor of the independent investigation, it all seemed maddeningly opaque. No light is shed on the substance of the charges, how or when they came to light, or even on the identity of the lawyer who presided over it all. Red Bull's position is that they are a private company and have no obligation to air internal claims for public consumption. But the sheer uncertainty of the verdict only perpetuates questions about what Horner had to defend himself against.
This is a problem because some of his main opponents are already trying to destabilize his power. Take the words of arch-nemesis Toto Wolff, who turned his ordeal into a soapbox during testing, declaring: “Formula 1 and the teams, we stand for inclusivity, equality, fairness and diversity. And this is not just talk, this is living day after day. These are the standards we set for ourselves. We are a global sport and we are role models.»
Horner talks to Mercedes chief Toto Wolff (left) and Red Bull team advisor Helmut Marko (right) Photo: AFP/Andrey Isakovich
It was hard to stomach this formulaic moralizing, and doubly hard when Horner — who, having been the subject of active litigation at the time of Wolff's comments — was entitled to the presumption of innocence. However, this didn't stop Zac Brown, with the McLaren CEO saying: «I don't believe these are the headlines that Formula 1 needs.» Just a couple of hours before Red Bull's statement was released, Lewis Hamilton took aim of his own, insisting the sport needs to do more to make working environments safe and inclusive.
Is there a degree of bias to be detected here? ? Was there any point in Hamilton's view that Horner had somehow, contrary to the findings of the investigation, compromised safety and inclusion? Horner was right to be outraged by the way Hamilton's intervention was framed. But he has long been responding with interest to provocations from Mercedes.
However, in this case, perhaps, it would be better for him not to sound too triumphant. Red Bull's rivals have their claws sharpened, ready to pounce on the slightest mistake. Horner, when in a good mood, has many rhetorical devices in his arsenal and rarely misses a chance to ruffle Wolf's feathers. But for now, the most reasonable reason would be decent restraint.
On a human level, the relief for Horner and his wife Geri will be enormous. There is talk that she could appear at the Grand Prix as early as this weekend, confirming the image of a united front. Although their lives have long embodied glamor and domestic bliss at home with their horses in Oxfordshire, the nature of the allegations, initially described as «coercive and controlling behaviour», has prompted a period of intense scrutiny. Now that he has been acquitted, his desire for confrontation is unlikely to be as strong as before.
Horner's wife Geri (left) can now fly to Bahrain for the Grand Prix. Photo: Getty Images/Jared K. Tilton
Horner's combative style may not be to everyone's taste, but there are reasons to be grateful that his presence in Formula 1 will continue. He is both mischievous and endlessly quotable, not to mention an integral part of the sport's recent history during his 19 years at the helm. He is both a link to her past, being a close friend of Bernie Ecclestone, and an influential frontman to her present, being a regular on Drive to Survive and on the pit wall during race weekends. Sky and Netflix, for the sake of their production, will be forever grateful that he is allowed to continue.
One day Horner may feel tempted to take revenge on those who doubted and challenged him. But at the moment he has shaky grounds for doing so. The confidentiality of the final report is in some ways a curse, preventing Horner from explaining exactly why he so vehemently denies these claims. But if the allegations ever become public knowledge, there are enough naysayers in Formula 1 who will never let the matter go unnoticed. Horner can now enjoy the knowledge that the shadow over his name has lifted. But when you look at the fact that Red Bull doesn't talk as much as it does at what they do, you feel that its terrible experience has not yet reached its end.
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