It was a dramatic overshadowing of the new Formula One season on Thursday evening when a leaked email with images of Christian Horner's correspondence with a female employee who complained about him was sent to the media, Formula One team members, senior personnel, and the FIA to overshadow the new season.
In a matter of less than 24 hours since the investigation into Horner's alleged inappropriate behavior had been concluded and Horner had been exonerated by the Red Bull team principal and the grievance was dismissed, the sport once again became engulfed in rumors and speculation after an anonymous email circulated in the paddock during the first race of the season in Bahrain.
In the letter, the organization declared that the grievance had been dismissed, but did not reveal any details of what the complaint was about, what materials or evidence the investigation had seen, or the conclusions it made in order to protect the privacy of the complainant. A report is understood to have resulted from the inquiry that lasted for a few weeks and consists of 600 pages in total. Horner has been under intense scrutiny since the matter was made public on 5 February.
During this time, he repeatedly, emphatically denied any wrongdoing. The decision not to release any information provoked disquiet in the paddock with the Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, demanding transparency from the company and other senior figures within F1. They also believe that after such a high profile affair that brought the sport’s reputation into question, transparency is required to ensure the issue has been dealt with correctly.
