by VALERIO BARRETTA
Horner, Red Bull decides: complaint rejected
After coming under fire over the past month following a Red Bull employee's accusation of sexually inappropriate behavior, Chris Horner was cleared by his team. Red Bull itself announced this in an official press release a few minutes ago.
The statement
“The independent investigation into the allegations made against Mr Horner has been completed and Red Bull can confirm that the complaint was rejected. The complainant has the right to appeal“, this is what we read in the Red Bull press release.
“Red Bull is satisfied that the investigation was fair, rigorous and impartial. The investigation report is confidential and contains private information of the parties and third parties who witnessed the investigation, therefore we will not make further comments out of respect for all interested parties. Red Bull will continue to strive for the best working standards“. There is no reference to Horner's role in the team: evidently, as his colleague Albert Fabrega confirms, he remains in place as both team principal and CEO of Red Bull. In England, this afternoon, they anticipated the news of Horner's exoneration without, however, making any statements regarding his sporting future.
The case
The Horner case arose from the complaint of a company employee at the Austrian headquarters regarding the behavior of the team principal that the Dutch newspaper de Telegraaf (who saw evidence of the allegations) called it “sexually inappropriate.” The Briton was questioned on Friday 9 February by an independent lawyer hired by Red Bull. The lawyer provided Red Bull with a 100-page binder on the case. After a few days of reflection, the Board of Directors reached this decision which exonerates Horner and allows the Briton to breathe after weeks of media and personal siege. But today, even with full acquittal, it is not a given that the relationship between Horner and Red Bull will return to what it once was.
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