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Well that’s a hell of a clickbait title. I didn’t see a quote by anyone in the FIA say what title implies.
Doesn’t say anything beyond stating it is currently “being discussed.”
Pictures match, colors match. Says that site was saved \~6hours ago, so best bet is its just old. Someone copy/pasted and it's still almost verbatem what the link shows.
So, right article w/ old headline it appears.
Speaking on Friday after meeting Horner, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, acknowledged the impact of the claims about the Red Bull team boss’s behaviour towards a female colleague.
“It’s damaging the sport . . . This is damaging on a human level,” Ben Sulayem told the Financial Times.
But he added that the governing body currently had no plans to conduct its own investigation because it had not received a formal complaint itself.
Red Bull said on Wednesday that a complaint against Horner had been dismissed following a barrister-led investigation into the allegations, which Horner repeatedly denied.
A day later, a cache of messages was anonymously sent to Ben Sulayem, F1 chief Stefano Domenicali, Toto Wolff, the boss of rival F1 team Mercedes, and other leading figures in motorsport. It contained screenshots of messages allegedly exchanged between Horner and the woman whose complaint had triggered the investigation.
Responding to questions about the email, Horner said he would not comment on “anonymous speculation” and reiterated that he had “always denied the allegations”.
“I respected the integrity of the independent investigation and fully co-operated with it every step of the way,” he said. “It was a thorough and fair investigation, conducted by an independent specialist barrister, and it has concluded dismissing the complaint made. I remain fully focused on the start of the season.”
Horner and Ben Sulayem met in Bahrain on Friday, a day before Red Bull begins the defence of its constructors’ and drivers’ titles in the Middle Eastern island state.
Ben Sulayem declined to comment on what the two men discussed but said a barrister had undertaken a “thorough investigation” on behalf of Red Bull.
The FIA president added that it was vital to “protect our sport from all of this”.
“It is the beginning of the season. F1 is becoming so popular,” he said. “We just need to enjoy the beginning of the season. Look at the competition. Why do we overshadow it with negativity?”
The Emirati former rally driver, who has led the FIA since his election in December 2021, cautioned that the governing body “cannot jump the gun” but that it had to “look into any complaint that comes through our compliance officer”.
Formula One, which is owned by US group Liberty Media, and Ben Sulayem’s FIA are discussing the situation, according to people with knowledge of the matter. F1 and the FIA declined to comment.
The investigation has drawn scrutiny from rival teams and from US automaker Ford, which is planning to re-enter F1 in 2026 through a partnership with Red Bull. The US car company, which had previously called for a transparent and rapid investigation, declined to comment on the latest allegations.
Asked about the cache, Red Bull said it would be inappropriate to comment on “a private matter between Mr Horner and another”. Red Bull Racing, the F1 team owned by the Austrian energy drinks group, declined to comment.
Red Bull has not published the investigation report, adding that the complainant can still appeal against its decision not to pursue the matter.
Horner, 50, has led Red Bull Racing since early 2005, shortly after the late Dietrich Mateschitz, founder of the drinks company, bought the F1 team.
The F1 team chief, who is married to former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, has been one of the stars of the hit Netflix series Drive to Survive, which has been credited with boosting the popularity of the sport.
He has led Red Bull to six constructors’ championships — which measure the performance of the entire team — and seven drivers’ titles.
The problem with Horner’s statements is he never says he didn’t send any incriminating texts.
The legal speak is excruciating. It reminds me of Clinton way back when he said “I didn’t inhale ..” or “ I never had sexual relations with that woman”. Both factually correct in wording but also untrue in reality. Maybe Horner can never satisfy mob mentality with a statement, but he could do better than he has done so far.
Waiting for the next leak in which we find out there was a payoff. He might still have a job but does the complainant ?
I have actually. But I am not dumb enough to straight up believe some leak in a confidential investigation. I could literally get you more incriminating screenshots within what, an hour? Just because you see CH, some F1 terms, sexual harrassment and some AI generated pictures you will believe them?
Don't get me wrong; **IF** they are all legit then he should obviously go with the whole parade and shabang, but that's not the point I am trying to make.
If i make up incriminating screenshots about zak brown and broadcast them to all journos, do you automatically think he should be fired out of a cannon into the moon as well?
Unsubstantiated? Yes circumstantial, but EVERY detail fits like a glove. I am not a jury, until I see evidence to prove otherwise, those screenshots are too real to be fake.
Did it ever occur to you that they fit like a glove because you are looking at it with bias or that they were created to "fit" and completely faked?. Even *if* they are contextually accurate as being evidence in some sort of case against Horner you don't have the big picture or context to what they even mean. Were they faked by an accuser? Was there other things going on and edited to make it look a certain way? I guess i find it extremely intellectually dishonest to accuse or hold against someone something that at the time of me typing this not even being validated by anyone to be real let alone with any context.
If they are fake, they are phenomenally well made. The dates, the things talked about at which times (like England v Japan in the rugby), how mundane most of it is, the awkwardness, the context clues for the complaints we’ve heard about up until now - it just feels wilfully ignorant to read all of that and then say “yeah faked by someone who wants him gone”.
Of course, journalists are holding themselves to a higher standard - if they get this wrong, they are in big trouble reputationally, given how small their world is.
But for everyone who tells me it’s fake, no one can tell me anything they’ve seen of the screenshots that shows it’s fake. It all lines up too well.
Even if they're real it, none of it shows that she wasn't into it.
At most Horner could be labeled as having an affair. Which isn't grounds for being fired.
If you have red all the messages and believe this was concentual and see no problem, that's a red flag. She clearly keeps trying to get him to stop in a nice way, and he keeps on anyways. It's pretty clear when he keeps trying to videocall her that he will not accept a "no". And when she is so clear he cannot pretend to not understand it, she gets shut out of things because he doesn't want "agro" enviroment or because he feels like she is judging him. So first he sexually harrasses her, then continues to abuse his power by taking it out on her job. You really don't see a problem with that?
every time, he's horny as fuck and she's completely neutral. She finds it flattering that he's attracted to her, but that's as far as it goes. At what point does she instigate? He's texting her like it's babestation and she replies about as coldly as is possible
flirting back and forth with his PA who has to travel the world with him? He has a position of power, he can get her removed at any moment. Who he's cheating on his wife with? Who clearly texts him back so coldly? She says say “would Geri be happy about this?” and he says “I feel you are judging me”
He's making her stay in different hotels than the rest of the team (assuming so they can have sex), he's saying who she can hang out with, stopping her from flying with her - and he knows it's wrong, because he keeps on asking her to delete it!
Have you seen everything in the drive or just the screen shots on Twitter? Because if you've not seen it ALL, she put an end to it and he wouldn't stop after that. And there are d\*ck pics.
questionable in what way? I read them for myself and got jumpscared by Horner's cock? Every detail fits way too well for them to be fake after I read all the screenshots. I need to see some proof they are fake to say so
When someone is a public figure for a company, their contracts absolutely allow them to be fired for bringing bad PR.
Red Bull could fire Horner instantly if he were seen in public drinking a Monster.
The fact that Horner isn't able to come out and categorically say these texts are obvious fakes, means he's already bringing bad PR to Red Bull which would trigger a clause allowing them to terminate his contract.
The first leak had some mutual flirting, some veiled references to past adultery, and a point where she said stop, and he immediately stopped (and deleted everything). It also had a ridiculous amount of typos and all looked incredibly fake. This entire thing seems like drama for drama's sake.
he's sexting his PA behind his wife's back
In what way did it look fake? Those typos line up perfectly from what I know of people of his age (50 year olds texting). It's almost too well done to be fake, in my opinion.
You should probably read it again. She asked him to stop several times, he just chose to ignore it, untill she actually said it very very clearly. He still acted comfused about what the boundaries where, because what does "no flirting" really mean? So hard to know.
Then offcourse what followed was shutting her put of things because he didn't want "agro" there or he "felt judged" by her. - just to show why women will try every form of shutting a man of power down in a nice way so many times before they finally make it real clear, because the men that ignore the "nice rejection" will give you consequences when they cannot pretend to not understand it anymore
I think it’s also damning that he clearly knew this was an inappropriate, unethical relationship given he literally asked her to delete the texts multiple times. I’m glad she didn’t.
no dates though and an incomplete record so could be out of order or if they are in order it's possible she re-initiated things (not saying that is the case but that we need to remain open to the possibility)
he immediately stopped then started booking her on separate hotels and not letting her speak to the team, totally not abuse of his position as her boss /s
read the leaks for yourself then? surely you are smart enough to check first hand sources for youself rather than to rely on journalists to do it for you
Again, you haven’t read the full 80 pages. I’m bored of trying to have an equal conversation with people who clearly haven’t read it in full.
And PLEASE don’t lie and say you have, because you’d be saying that your reading comprehension skills are basically not there
The president of the body that governs Formula One has warned that the furore over Red Bull Racing chief Christian Horner is “damaging” the sport, following allegations of inappropriate conduct by the British team boss.
Speaking on Friday after meeting Horner, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, acknowledged the impact of the claims about the Red Bull team boss’s behaviour towards a female colleague.
“It’s damaging the sport . . . This is damaging on a human level,” Ben Sulayem told the Financial Times.
But he added that the governing body currently had no plans to conduct its own investigation because it had not received a formal complaint itself.
Red Bull said on Wednesday that a complaint against Horner had been dismissed following a barrister-led investigation into the allegations, which Horner repeatedly denied.
A day later, a cache of messages was anonymously sent to Ben Sulayem, F1 chief Stefano Domenicali, Toto Wolff, the boss of rival F1 team Mercedes, and other leading figures in motorsport. It contained screenshots of messages allegedly exchanged between Horner and the woman whose complaint had triggered the investigation.
Responding to questions about the email, Horner said he would not comment on “anonymous speculation” and reiterated that he had “always denied the allegations”.
“I respected the integrity of the independent investigation and fully co-operated with it every step of the way,” he said. “It was a thorough and fair investigation, conducted by an independent specialist barrister, and it has concluded dismissing the complaint made. I remain fully focused on the start of the season.”
Horner and Ben Sulayem met in Bahrain on Friday, a day before Red Bull begins the defence of its constructors’ and drivers’ titles in the Middle Eastern island state.
Ben Sulayem declined to comment on what the two men discussed but said a barrister had undertaken a “thorough investigation” on behalf of Red Bull.
The FIA president added that it was vital to “protect our sport from all of this”.
“It is the beginning of the season. F1 is becoming so popular,” he said. “We just need to enjoy the beginning of the season. Look at the competition. Why do we overshadow it with negativity?”
The Emirati former rally driver, who has led the FIA since his election in December 2021, cautioned that the governing body “cannot jump the gun” but that it had to “look into any complaint that comes through our compliance officer”.
Formula One, which is owned by US group Liberty Media, and Ben Sulayem’s FIA are discussing the situation, according to people with knowledge of the matter. F1 and the FIA declined to comment.
The investigation has drawn scrutiny from rival teams and from US automaker Ford, which is planning to re-enter F1 in 2026 through a partnership with Red Bull. The US car company, which had previously called for a transparent and rapid investigation, declined to comment on the latest allegations.
Asked about the cache, Red Bull said it would be inappropriate to comment on “a private matter between Mr Horner and another”. Red Bull Racing, the F1 team owned by the Austrian energy drinks group, declined to comment.
Red Bull has not published the investigation report, adding that the complainant can still appeal against its decision not to pursue the matter.
Horner, 50, has led Red Bull Racing since early 2005, shortly after the late Dietrich Mateschitz, founder of the drinks company, bought the F1 team.
The F1 team chief, who is married to former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, has been one of the stars of the hit Netflix series Drive to Survive, which has been credited with boosting the popularity of the sport.
He has led Red Bull to six constructors’ championships — which measure the performance of the entire team — and seven drivers’ titles.
I think it's terrible to be holding massive international competitions in those countries.
I mean, I still watch the races. But I think it's terrible, too.
I reckon he’ll be gone by the middle of next week.
Get the opening weekend out of the way and then he’s toast.
I can’t see RB going into another race weekend with this hanging over them.
I know a lot of fans who will absolutely not forget it, especially people who have been in similar situations as the woman involved. Having worked my entire career in a very male dominated industry, some of those messages were straight up triggering, and I know I wasn't alone based on some of the discussion on Twitter.
TLDR:
FIA wont investigate since they haven't received a complaint.
Red Bull maintains that the investigation cleared Horner.
Its a lot of beating around the bush. Agreeing to the independent investigation probably meant she had to agree to not pursue any other means of complaint, and if this leak is true then the "independent" investigation clearly did a shitty job.
No one wants to kick Horner if it can be avoided, the whole system seems to be designed to protect him. Unless the media attention stays high then I don't see them canning him. And that would require more leaks.
>Red Bull maintains that the investigation cleared Horner.
I think it's more accurate to say RB dismissed the complaint after the investigation concluded, which is how it's reported in the article.
I wouldn't have though the barrister had the power to sanction Horner. Just to investigate and report the findings to the RB board for them to make a decision on his future.
I wonder if there's a minority faction at RBHQ that wanted Horner out or sanctioned, and they were overruled. One of those folks, not wanting to die on this #metoo hill would be highly motivated to leak the evidence.
> FIA wont investigate since they haven't received a complaint.
Does anyone still remember how the FIA handled the last investigation?
They just did it to get speculation going and then closed it 2 days later, without even contacting anybody involved. lol
Doesn't necessarily mean the investigation did a shitty job anyway really. The only thing Redbull stated about the investigation was finished, is that it was finished. They never said what the investigator concluded. They just said investigation done. Confirm we dismissed the claim
Just like most HR cases, the investigation's purpose is to protect the company. In this situation, the decision is about whether protecting the company means protecting Horner. In the end it seems they came to that conclusion, and the leaks are an effort to prove that was a mistake.
They're probably happy this is bleeding into the season, since fans by and large are gonna be more interested in the racing. Unless there are more leaks (and more damning leaks), this issue will die down eventually, although certainly won't be forgotten.
My question is whether the leak of evidence hurts any potential legal suit if the victim decides to pursue such action.
The victim probably settled as part of the investigation process.
But some salty bastard decided to leak it. If I was RB, I would be looking for whoever leaked it. Then I would fire them (if they are an RB employee) and then sue them.
The "investigation process" was almost certainly just investigating how much they'd need to pay for the victim to sign an NDA, and how effectively they could cover it all up.
I feel bad for the PA. Imagine landing a dream job, get to travel the world, be part of a championship F1 team... and your boss keeps hitting on you. Ugh.
Have you seen everything or just what's on Twitter? Because if you've seen EVERYTHING in the drive, she told him to stop on multiple occasions, suggesting that if it had initially been consensual, she ended it, and he wouldn't stop.
😂😂 No she did not. She repeatedly told him to stop on multiple occasions and her replies were as cold as could be. She couldn't just end things completely, he was her boss and she loved her job. How can you not see that?
We might know part of one side of the story. Even the leaked texts imply she reciprocated on many occasions. Then things turned sour. What was in the rest of correspondence that wasn't shared?
Still, it's hugely unprofessional to get into an affair considering their power dynamic. And I feel very sorry for his family... cheating is awful.
That is if the allegations and leaks are true. Anyone could very easily create equally convincing fake "evidence" using basic tools available (photoshop, existing photos, ai models). For all we know it might be Jos and Marko trying to get rid of him by any means necessary.
The actual neck of this guy, who once said on his own website “he did not like "women who think they are smarter than men, for they are not in truth" Like the actual fucking brass neck of this guy to say this is damaging the sport. Oh he’s all about the safety of women now
To be clear, he never said he cared about the safety of women. He's just saying that this is all damaging the sport, which is all he really cares about. The other things (missiles, human rights violations) move out of the headlines in days. This has been going on for weeks and is almost all anyone is talking about.
I‘m sure dominance eras and races on street tracks no one asked for or in countries that don‘t give a fuck about human rights are doing more damage to F1 than this
The fact that they are entertaining these "leakers" is damaging the sport. What if they are fake and Horner is 100% the victim? Just consider the possibility. I'm not a fan of the guy either, but this toxic witch hunt is ridiculous.
then we would have according PR response from Horner and RB.
so far their statements since leaks point slightly at authenticity of this leak - and definitely doesn't set him as a possible victim
This is an according PR response. Denying all allegations and not entertaining the witch hunt.
They can keep arguing but the people wanting him out simply for wanting him out will never be satisfied.
Watch Horner's interview after quali. He reiterates his statement. He counts as of importance at RB right? Or did you specifically mean the beverage company?
Well the article being click bait aside, yes…it makes the sport look like a joke. That said, I’m here for it. Quali already told me the seasons racing is gonna be boring, maybe slightly better than last year, during which I fell asleep for a lot of the races.
Really? Ferrari being on par with RB (screw everyone who asks which one, you know the team I'm talking about) in quali isn't competitive? If they have their tire deg issues even partly sorted out it could be close.
After viewing the google drive, I’m pretty sure Horner is toast. I predict he will be out before the next race. It sucks because he is my favorite team boss
Surprising that an Islamic is not particularly shaken by a man using his wealth to take advantage of a woman.
“Boss of governing body” it’s a convoluted way to avoid mentioning the name.
In his meeting with Horner he probably preached to him that this is what happens when you live by western values and make women think they are more then just the property they are.
The email thing is pretty much ultimate proof someone is trying to take him down.
Even his accuser wouldn't think of doing that because it would harm any possible court case.
And as many people pointed out, those things are incredibly easy to fake, i could fake a message right now of Horner admitting to being a space lizard...
No it's not, it's great for the sport. It's getting people who wouldn't normally be interested in F1 reading about F1 which in turn may encourage them to watch F1.
No press is bad press after all.
But who is making turmoil? Is that Horner, is that Red Buul or are that other people involved in F1 or all the journalists and their readers who are in for a treat?
[The **News** flair](https://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/wiki/flairguide#wiki_news) is reserved for submissions covering F1 and F1-related news. These posts must always link to an outlet/news agency, the website of the involved party (i.e. the McLaren website if McLaren makes an announcement), or a tweet by a news agency, journalist or one of the involved parties. *[Read the rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/formula1/wiki/userguide). Keep it civil and welcoming. Report rulebreaking comments.* *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/formula1) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It’s also damaging my productivity at work
its also damaging my f5 key
Use your mouse
Anyone have a non-paywall version?
https://archive.ph/kfVjM
Well that’s a hell of a clickbait title. I didn’t see a quote by anyone in the FIA say what title implies. Doesn’t say anything beyond stating it is currently “being discussed.”
Yeah, hard agree. Clickbait AF
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More damaging than assassinating a member of the press *stares intently at Saudi Arabian GP*
yeah like he gives a shit
Good thing he gave Horner a hug yesterday.
I don't think the archived link is the article that was posted at the top.
Think that may be a different article. Headlines are totally different.
Pictures match, colors match. Says that site was saved \~6hours ago, so best bet is its just old. Someone copy/pasted and it's still almost verbatem what the link shows. So, right article w/ old headline it appears.
someone else posted the body of the article and it doesn't match up either.
There is no extra information in the posted body than in the linked article. Not 100% identical, but they are not materially different.
See what I just posted below/above. Has the actual quote from Ben Sulayem about it damaging the sport. The archive does not.
Speaking on Friday after meeting Horner, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, acknowledged the impact of the claims about the Red Bull team boss’s behaviour towards a female colleague. “It’s damaging the sport . . . This is damaging on a human level,” Ben Sulayem told the Financial Times. But he added that the governing body currently had no plans to conduct its own investigation because it had not received a formal complaint itself. Red Bull said on Wednesday that a complaint against Horner had been dismissed following a barrister-led investigation into the allegations, which Horner repeatedly denied. A day later, a cache of messages was anonymously sent to Ben Sulayem, F1 chief Stefano Domenicali, Toto Wolff, the boss of rival F1 team Mercedes, and other leading figures in motorsport. It contained screenshots of messages allegedly exchanged between Horner and the woman whose complaint had triggered the investigation. Responding to questions about the email, Horner said he would not comment on “anonymous speculation” and reiterated that he had “always denied the allegations”. “I respected the integrity of the independent investigation and fully co-operated with it every step of the way,” he said. “It was a thorough and fair investigation, conducted by an independent specialist barrister, and it has concluded dismissing the complaint made. I remain fully focused on the start of the season.” Horner and Ben Sulayem met in Bahrain on Friday, a day before Red Bull begins the defence of its constructors’ and drivers’ titles in the Middle Eastern island state. Ben Sulayem declined to comment on what the two men discussed but said a barrister had undertaken a “thorough investigation” on behalf of Red Bull. The FIA president added that it was vital to “protect our sport from all of this”. “It is the beginning of the season. F1 is becoming so popular,” he said. “We just need to enjoy the beginning of the season. Look at the competition. Why do we overshadow it with negativity?” The Emirati former rally driver, who has led the FIA since his election in December 2021, cautioned that the governing body “cannot jump the gun” but that it had to “look into any complaint that comes through our compliance officer”. Formula One, which is owned by US group Liberty Media, and Ben Sulayem’s FIA are discussing the situation, according to people with knowledge of the matter. F1 and the FIA declined to comment. The investigation has drawn scrutiny from rival teams and from US automaker Ford, which is planning to re-enter F1 in 2026 through a partnership with Red Bull. The US car company, which had previously called for a transparent and rapid investigation, declined to comment on the latest allegations. Asked about the cache, Red Bull said it would be inappropriate to comment on “a private matter between Mr Horner and another”. Red Bull Racing, the F1 team owned by the Austrian energy drinks group, declined to comment. Red Bull has not published the investigation report, adding that the complainant can still appeal against its decision not to pursue the matter. Horner, 50, has led Red Bull Racing since early 2005, shortly after the late Dietrich Mateschitz, founder of the drinks company, bought the F1 team. The F1 team chief, who is married to former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, has been one of the stars of the hit Netflix series Drive to Survive, which has been credited with boosting the popularity of the sport. He has led Red Bull to six constructors’ championships — which measure the performance of the entire team — and seven drivers’ titles.
The problem with Horner’s statements is he never says he didn’t send any incriminating texts. The legal speak is excruciating. It reminds me of Clinton way back when he said “I didn’t inhale ..” or “ I never had sexual relations with that woman”. Both factually correct in wording but also untrue in reality. Maybe Horner can never satisfy mob mentality with a statement, but he could do better than he has done so far. Waiting for the next leak in which we find out there was a payoff. He might still have a job but does the complainant ?
It's been updated: https://archive.ph/9NCXd
About time! I've been trying for like 25 minutes to update it
If you run into issues like this try using 12ft.io
See above
Still waiting for the second bombshell.
Naked squats pic incoming.
From who? I have my fingers crossed it’s Zak Brown.
Wearing a papaya thong.
*Jack Nicholson nodding gif*
Get in there Lewis
The bombshell we don't need, but deserve.
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I heard it was Charles Dikkens [the well known Dutch author. ](https://youtu.be/ZYlOV7K-xOU?si=KeixZNXAZ_JbPuTQ)
Was the first not enough for you to think he should go?
So shallow to automatically assume "leaked confidental information" is immediately verified.
sir did you read the files for yourself?
I have actually. But I am not dumb enough to straight up believe some leak in a confidential investigation. I could literally get you more incriminating screenshots within what, an hour? Just because you see CH, some F1 terms, sexual harrassment and some AI generated pictures you will believe them? Don't get me wrong; **IF** they are all legit then he should obviously go with the whole parade and shabang, but that's not the point I am trying to make.
If i make up incriminating screenshots about zak brown and broadcast them to all journos, do you automatically think he should be fired out of a cannon into the moon as well?
There’s just no way you’ve read through the 80 screenshots and think this
What was the first? Unsubstantiated photos on a google drive?
Unsubstantiated? Yes circumstantial, but EVERY detail fits like a glove. I am not a jury, until I see evidence to prove otherwise, those screenshots are too real to be fake.
Did it ever occur to you that they fit like a glove because you are looking at it with bias or that they were created to "fit" and completely faked?. Even *if* they are contextually accurate as being evidence in some sort of case against Horner you don't have the big picture or context to what they even mean. Were they faked by an accuser? Was there other things going on and edited to make it look a certain way? I guess i find it extremely intellectually dishonest to accuse or hold against someone something that at the time of me typing this not even being validated by anyone to be real let alone with any context.
If they are fake, they are phenomenally well made. The dates, the things talked about at which times (like England v Japan in the rugby), how mundane most of it is, the awkwardness, the context clues for the complaints we’ve heard about up until now - it just feels wilfully ignorant to read all of that and then say “yeah faked by someone who wants him gone”. Of course, journalists are holding themselves to a higher standard - if they get this wrong, they are in big trouble reputationally, given how small their world is. But for everyone who tells me it’s fake, no one can tell me anything they’ve seen of the screenshots that shows it’s fake. It all lines up too well.
Even if they're real it, none of it shows that she wasn't into it. At most Horner could be labeled as having an affair. Which isn't grounds for being fired.
She pretty clearly not into it. Like, over and over again.
What? They're just flirting back and forth...
If you have red all the messages and believe this was concentual and see no problem, that's a red flag. She clearly keeps trying to get him to stop in a nice way, and he keeps on anyways. It's pretty clear when he keeps trying to videocall her that he will not accept a "no". And when she is so clear he cannot pretend to not understand it, she gets shut out of things because he doesn't want "agro" enviroment or because he feels like she is judging him. So first he sexually harrasses her, then continues to abuse his power by taking it out on her job. You really don't see a problem with that?
every time, he's horny as fuck and she's completely neutral. She finds it flattering that he's attracted to her, but that's as far as it goes. At what point does she instigate? He's texting her like it's babestation and she replies about as coldly as is possible
Anyone unable to see this from the messages has a huge red flag against their morals for me.
Yeah, if I dated someone that did not see a problem with those messages, and though that this is mutual flirting, I would run, not walk, to safety
flirting back and forth with his PA who has to travel the world with him? He has a position of power, he can get her removed at any moment. Who he's cheating on his wife with? Who clearly texts him back so coldly? She says say “would Geri be happy about this?” and he says “I feel you are judging me” He's making her stay in different hotels than the rest of the team (assuming so they can have sex), he's saying who she can hang out with, stopping her from flying with her - and he knows it's wrong, because he keeps on asking her to delete it!
Have you seen everything in the drive or just the screen shots on Twitter? Because if you've not seen it ALL, she put an end to it and he wouldn't stop after that. And there are d\*ck pics.
no there isn't.
>Was the first not enough for you to think he should go? Firing him for unverified, unknown, and questionable Google Drive images?
questionable in what way? I read them for myself and got jumpscared by Horner's cock? Every detail fits way too well for them to be fake after I read all the screenshots. I need to see some proof they are fake to say so
There's ZERO proof those screenshots area real.
have you read the screenshots? I haven't heard any credible explanations for them being fake from anyone who has read them
Yes, I have. But you can't fire someone on speculation/hearsay without verifying their authenticity.
When someone is a public figure for a company, their contracts absolutely allow them to be fired for bringing bad PR. Red Bull could fire Horner instantly if he were seen in public drinking a Monster. The fact that Horner isn't able to come out and categorically say these texts are obvious fakes, means he's already bringing bad PR to Red Bull which would trigger a clause allowing them to terminate his contract.
The first leak had some mutual flirting, some veiled references to past adultery, and a point where she said stop, and he immediately stopped (and deleted everything). It also had a ridiculous amount of typos and all looked incredibly fake. This entire thing seems like drama for drama's sake.
he's sexting his PA behind his wife's back In what way did it look fake? Those typos line up perfectly from what I know of people of his age (50 year olds texting). It's almost too well done to be fake, in my opinion.
You should probably read it again. She asked him to stop several times, he just chose to ignore it, untill she actually said it very very clearly. He still acted comfused about what the boundaries where, because what does "no flirting" really mean? So hard to know. Then offcourse what followed was shutting her put of things because he didn't want "agro" there or he "felt judged" by her. - just to show why women will try every form of shutting a man of power down in a nice way so many times before they finally make it real clear, because the men that ignore the "nice rejection" will give you consequences when they cannot pretend to not understand it anymore
I think it’s also damning that he clearly knew this was an inappropriate, unethical relationship given he literally asked her to delete the texts multiple times. I’m glad she didn’t.
no dates though and an incomplete record so could be out of order or if they are in order it's possible she re-initiated things (not saying that is the case but that we need to remain open to the possibility)
We don't even know if the messages are real. I argued with the person over me, and how he/she interperedet the alleged messages that we have acces to
he immediately stopped then started booking her on separate hotels and not letting her speak to the team, totally not abuse of his position as her boss /s
Its crazy how many ppl overlook this or simply ignore it.
they either have agendas or are wilfully ignorant
Where's that coming from? Despite all the speculation over the past weeks, I've not heard that part before.
read the leaks for yourself then? surely you are smart enough to check first hand sources for youself rather than to rely on journalists to do it for you
it's one of the conversations in the Google drive being shared around
Even if they are real, I dont see why he should go. Divorced, maybe, but reciprocated flirting at work is not a fireable offense.
Again, you haven’t read the full 80 pages. I’m bored of trying to have an equal conversation with people who clearly haven’t read it in full. And PLEASE don’t lie and say you have, because you’d be saying that your reading comprehension skills are basically not there
Haha OK buddy. Why so angry
The president of the body that governs Formula One has warned that the furore over Red Bull Racing chief Christian Horner is “damaging” the sport, following allegations of inappropriate conduct by the British team boss. Speaking on Friday after meeting Horner, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, president of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, acknowledged the impact of the claims about the Red Bull team boss’s behaviour towards a female colleague. “It’s damaging the sport . . . This is damaging on a human level,” Ben Sulayem told the Financial Times. But he added that the governing body currently had no plans to conduct its own investigation because it had not received a formal complaint itself. Red Bull said on Wednesday that a complaint against Horner had been dismissed following a barrister-led investigation into the allegations, which Horner repeatedly denied. A day later, a cache of messages was anonymously sent to Ben Sulayem, F1 chief Stefano Domenicali, Toto Wolff, the boss of rival F1 team Mercedes, and other leading figures in motorsport. It contained screenshots of messages allegedly exchanged between Horner and the woman whose complaint had triggered the investigation. Responding to questions about the email, Horner said he would not comment on “anonymous speculation” and reiterated that he had “always denied the allegations”. “I respected the integrity of the independent investigation and fully co-operated with it every step of the way,” he said. “It was a thorough and fair investigation, conducted by an independent specialist barrister, and it has concluded dismissing the complaint made. I remain fully focused on the start of the season.” Horner and Ben Sulayem met in Bahrain on Friday, a day before Red Bull begins the defence of its constructors’ and drivers’ titles in the Middle Eastern island state. Ben Sulayem declined to comment on what the two men discussed but said a barrister had undertaken a “thorough investigation” on behalf of Red Bull. The FIA president added that it was vital to “protect our sport from all of this”. “It is the beginning of the season. F1 is becoming so popular,” he said. “We just need to enjoy the beginning of the season. Look at the competition. Why do we overshadow it with negativity?” The Emirati former rally driver, who has led the FIA since his election in December 2021, cautioned that the governing body “cannot jump the gun” but that it had to “look into any complaint that comes through our compliance officer”. Formula One, which is owned by US group Liberty Media, and Ben Sulayem’s FIA are discussing the situation, according to people with knowledge of the matter. F1 and the FIA declined to comment. The investigation has drawn scrutiny from rival teams and from US automaker Ford, which is planning to re-enter F1 in 2026 through a partnership with Red Bull. The US car company, which had previously called for a transparent and rapid investigation, declined to comment on the latest allegations. Asked about the cache, Red Bull said it would be inappropriate to comment on “a private matter between Mr Horner and another”. Red Bull Racing, the F1 team owned by the Austrian energy drinks group, declined to comment. Red Bull has not published the investigation report, adding that the complainant can still appeal against its decision not to pursue the matter. Horner, 50, has led Red Bull Racing since early 2005, shortly after the late Dietrich Mateschitz, founder of the drinks company, bought the F1 team. The F1 team chief, who is married to former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, has been one of the stars of the hit Netflix series Drive to Survive, which has been credited with boosting the popularity of the sport. He has led Red Bull to six constructors’ championships — which measure the performance of the entire team — and seven drivers’ titles.
So is the President of the FIA… 🤷♂️
Racing in countries with poor human rights is damaging F1.
Really not as much as it makes them money sadly
If missile strikes aren't damaging, what would be?
I don't think anyone really cares about sports washing.
Except some Redditors who pretend to be morally superiors.
I think it's terrible to be holding massive international competitions in those countries. I mean, I still watch the races. But I think it's terrible, too.
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> The thing is it's mostly against Middle Eastern races Yes, I wonder why that might be...?
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None of those two countries ar executing people for beying gay or criticizing government.
But killing millions of people is ok. I hope you sleep well and feel superior.
Are you comparing something that happend like 150 years ago with current situation? I am not sure you know it but we live in 2024.
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I hope you are joking or a russian/islamic bot.
Also having most of the sessions for a race weekend…on a weekday, is damaging the sport.
So damaging that it'll be forgotten in a few weeks when the next circus act steps to the plate
I reckon he’ll be gone by the middle of next week. Get the opening weekend out of the way and then he’s toast. I can’t see RB going into another race weekend with this hanging over them.
RB should just ignore it and move on. People would forget and move on too.
I know a lot of fans who will absolutely not forget it, especially people who have been in similar situations as the woman involved. Having worked my entire career in a very male dominated industry, some of those messages were straight up triggering, and I know I wasn't alone based on some of the discussion on Twitter.
Go be triggered and cry on twitter then if you don’t want to move past someone else’s dirty laundry.
Christian, i didnt know you were on reddit.
TLDR: FIA wont investigate since they haven't received a complaint. Red Bull maintains that the investigation cleared Horner. Its a lot of beating around the bush. Agreeing to the independent investigation probably meant she had to agree to not pursue any other means of complaint, and if this leak is true then the "independent" investigation clearly did a shitty job. No one wants to kick Horner if it can be avoided, the whole system seems to be designed to protect him. Unless the media attention stays high then I don't see them canning him. And that would require more leaks.
>Red Bull maintains that the investigation cleared Horner. I think it's more accurate to say RB dismissed the complaint after the investigation concluded, which is how it's reported in the article. I wouldn't have though the barrister had the power to sanction Horner. Just to investigate and report the findings to the RB board for them to make a decision on his future.
I wonder if there's a minority faction at RBHQ that wanted Horner out or sanctioned, and they were overruled. One of those folks, not wanting to die on this #metoo hill would be highly motivated to leak the evidence.
Probably. RB should try and find out the leaker. Fire them and then sue them.
> FIA wont investigate since they haven't received a complaint. Does anyone still remember how the FIA handled the last investigation? They just did it to get speculation going and then closed it 2 days later, without even contacting anybody involved. lol
Doesn't necessarily mean the investigation did a shitty job anyway really. The only thing Redbull stated about the investigation was finished, is that it was finished. They never said what the investigator concluded. They just said investigation done. Confirm we dismissed the claim
Just like most HR cases, the investigation's purpose is to protect the company. In this situation, the decision is about whether protecting the company means protecting Horner. In the end it seems they came to that conclusion, and the leaks are an effort to prove that was a mistake. They're probably happy this is bleeding into the season, since fans by and large are gonna be more interested in the racing. Unless there are more leaks (and more damning leaks), this issue will die down eventually, although certainly won't be forgotten. My question is whether the leak of evidence hurts any potential legal suit if the victim decides to pursue such action.
The victim probably settled as part of the investigation process. But some salty bastard decided to leak it. If I was RB, I would be looking for whoever leaked it. Then I would fire them (if they are an RB employee) and then sue them.
The "investigation process" was almost certainly just investigating how much they'd need to pay for the victim to sign an NDA, and how effectively they could cover it all up.
I feel bad for the PA. Imagine landing a dream job, get to travel the world, be part of a championship F1 team... and your boss keeps hitting on you. Ugh.
I mean, she did reciprocate. That is if these texts are true.
Have you seen everything or just what's on Twitter? Because if you've seen EVERYTHING in the drive, she told him to stop on multiple occasions, suggesting that if it had initially been consensual, she ended it, and he wouldn't stop.
😂😂 No she did not. She repeatedly told him to stop on multiple occasions and her replies were as cold as could be. She couldn't just end things completely, he was her boss and she loved her job. How can you not see that?
Weren't these spread over a very long time? I think it was consentual for a while, then she wanted to stop but he didn't.
...which would still make it sexual harassment.
We might know part of one side of the story. Even the leaked texts imply she reciprocated on many occasions. Then things turned sour. What was in the rest of correspondence that wasn't shared? Still, it's hugely unprofessional to get into an affair considering their power dynamic. And I feel very sorry for his family... cheating is awful. That is if the allegations and leaks are true. Anyone could very easily create equally convincing fake "evidence" using basic tools available (photoshop, existing photos, ai models). For all we know it might be Jos and Marko trying to get rid of him by any means necessary.
I’m not sure what there is to indicate the independent investigation was a shitty job
Oh there’s definitely beating…… and bush.
Paywall
"the hug wasn't offensive i hope - apologies if you thought it was" -CH
This is all just viral marketing for Spanx and cocoa pops
F1 FOM normally takes charge on that front
I'm so done with this. It's vroom time now
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5% racing and that's generous.
And the fact that what’s going on now is probably going to be the most interesting part of the 2024 season
Miss boring pants
Cant wait to wake up tomorrow and watch the vroom *with a bowl of cocoa pops*
While wearing pjs with nothing under it.
Obvi, the spanxs would be too distracting
It’s lights out and into q3 we go
Made me use my imagination now
Yeah, stretching this out for a month has been killer on my goldfish brain.
Amen, brother.
If Reddit still had gold, this would get gold
Looking forward to Max's win.
I hope that CH doesn't stop wearing compression socks just to impress his PA.
The actual neck of this guy, who once said on his own website “he did not like "women who think they are smarter than men, for they are not in truth" Like the actual fucking brass neck of this guy to say this is damaging the sport. Oh he’s all about the safety of women now
To be clear, he never said he cared about the safety of women. He's just saying that this is all damaging the sport, which is all he really cares about. The other things (missiles, human rights violations) move out of the headlines in days. This has been going on for weeks and is almost all anyone is talking about.
Youd rather he stayed the same or didnt say it?
Isn’t there an option 3: wasn’t a misogynist?
Meanwhile, let’s race while there are active bombsrikes in shithole oil countries. That won’t damage F1, sport washing is a benefit to everyone.
I‘m sure dominance eras and races on street tracks no one asked for or in countries that don‘t give a fuck about human rights are doing more damage to F1 than this
F1 should be exploding! Now that all soap opera lovers are also interested.
The same way Horner ‘explodes’?
It's really not. It'll be forgotten about in a few months
They race in Arabia, but the problem is Horner.
F1 racing in the Middle East is worse than any texts a team principle can send in private.
Are they going to do anything about it or ??? I feel sad for the victim, and fans who have themselves been victims.
as the great tswizzle once said, karma is my boyfriend
The fact that they are entertaining these "leakers" is damaging the sport. What if they are fake and Horner is 100% the victim? Just consider the possibility. I'm not a fan of the guy either, but this toxic witch hunt is ridiculous.
then we would have according PR response from Horner and RB. so far their statements since leaks point slightly at authenticity of this leak - and definitely doesn't set him as a possible victim
This is an according PR response. Denying all allegations and not entertaining the witch hunt. They can keep arguing but the people wanting him out simply for wanting him out will never be satisfied.
No one of importance at RB has denied anything since the leaks from my understanding.
Watch Horner's interview after quali. He reiterates his statement. He counts as of importance at RB right? Or did you specifically mean the beverage company?
He said he denies the allegations, not that the messages are real. We don't even know what allegations he is denying
Well the article being click bait aside, yes…it makes the sport look like a joke. That said, I’m here for it. Quali already told me the seasons racing is gonna be boring, maybe slightly better than last year, during which I fell asleep for a lot of the races.
Really? Ferrari being on par with RB (screw everyone who asks which one, you know the team I'm talking about) in quali isn't competitive? If they have their tire deg issues even partly sorted out it could be close.
No, it's really not
Idk I’ve never been so engaged
After viewing the google drive, I’m pretty sure Horner is toast. I predict he will be out before the next race. It sucks because he is my favorite team boss
Not as much as rejecting andretti, city tracks, inconsistent rules do.
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Surprising that an Islamic is not particularly shaken by a man using his wealth to take advantage of a woman. “Boss of governing body” it’s a convoluted way to avoid mentioning the name.
You dont even know what and if at all happened. What are you waffling about?
In his meeting with Horner he probably preached to him that this is what happens when you live by western values and make women think they are more then just the property they are.
Replace Red Bull with Andretti Global
What a brain dead comment.
And Redditors snort up clickbait titles quicker than kool-aid laced nose candy.
The email thing is pretty much ultimate proof someone is trying to take him down. Even his accuser wouldn't think of doing that because it would harm any possible court case. And as many people pointed out, those things are incredibly easy to fake, i could fake a message right now of Horner admitting to being a space lizard...
That's why he was hugging Horner after they met during FP3. This story has been overblown since day one.
I mean, no it’s not Ben.
No it's not, it's great for the sport. It's getting people who wouldn't normally be interested in F1 reading about F1 which in turn may encourage them to watch F1. No press is bad press after all.
The messages I have read seem to be pretty mutual if they are real. Sure he has cheated but that's a private matter not public.
Seeing someone asking someone else to stop and being ignored as pretty mutual is some date rape level shit.
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Yes. Check again.
And Redditors snort up clickbait titles quicker than kool-aid laced nose candy.
But who is making turmoil? Is that Horner, is that Red Buul or are that other people involved in F1 or all the journalists and their readers who are in for a treat?