Horner-Red Bull case, Ecclestone invites him to resign

Decisions still unknown

Last Friday the long-awaited interrogation of the Red Bull Team Principal took place Christian Horner, accused of 'coercive behavior' against an employee. As reported by SkyUKthe British manager would have been listened to for over eight hours, but in the current state the decisions taken regarding him are not yet known. A few days before the official presentation of the new Red Bull RB20, scheduled for Thursday 14 February, it is therefore unclear whether Horner will have to pay consequences, such as dismissal, or not.

Ecclestone's advice

The 50-year-old meanwhile continues to deny all the accusations, but according to rumors learned from the Germans F1-Insider have arrived in the meantime advice not indifferent on the part of some prominent F1 figures to make the decision to resign. Among these, none other than the former Formula 1 boss Bernie EcclestoneHorner's confidant who would have pushed the latter to make the decision to leave his position to avoid further damage to himself and his family.

Red Bull and Liberty Media

Horner, contrary to the positions taken by Adrian Newey and Helmut Marko, can however count on the support from the Yoovidhya family, Thai owner of Red Bull which owns 51% of the group. However, the latter sold part of its shares to other investors; this means that Mark Mateschitzson of the late Dietrich who founded Red Bull, is the largest single shareholder of the Austrian company with 49%. Mateschitz Jr was also contacted by Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of F1. A conversation that occurred under pressure from Liberty Media, owner of the Circus and who, as often happens in the United States, does not tolerate issues such as those of the case involving Horner. If the accusations were to prove concrete, the current Team Principal would very unlikely keep his role.

The example of Tomas Scheckter

Former Jaguar test driver Tomas Scheckter knows something about this, and he paid a high price for his incorrect behavior in the office, which was not accepted in any way by the Americans. At the time of the events, in the early 2000s, he was in fact caught flirting with a prostitute in the company. Ford, then head of Jaguar, personally fired him: “I couldn't save him – said Niki Lauda, ​​Jaguar Team Principal at the time – even if it was a matter of mutual consent; Henry Ford III knew no mercy, because Americans want nothing to do with public sex.”