Horner visibly heartbroken after 'tough time': 'Only my name is mentioned'

These have been tough weeks for Horner and Red Bull Racing. Although the team scored a 1-2 at the season opener in Bahrain, most of the attention in recent months has been on Horner. The latter was investigated for alleged inappropriate behaviour. Horner was acquitted, but things have not calmed down.

''We have to go back to the basis. A grievance was raised, it was fully investigated and it was dismissed. From there, we move onwards. An awful lot has been made out of this. It has been of great interest in different elements of the media for different reasons," said the Red Bull Racing team boss.

Why it was a tough time for Horner

Horner had hoped it would be over. The storm certainly did not subside. An e-mail was sent out, and several stories have also emerged in the media, possibly fuelled by the 'other party', which is also what Horner is hinting at.

"That process is confidential between the individuals and the company itself (Red Bull GmbH). I'm not at liberty, unfortunately, due to those confidentiality restrictions.   Now, the only reason that this has gained so much attention is because of the leakage and the tension that's been drawn in the media. Which has been very trying in many respects. Particularly for my family, because it's all been focused very much in one direction. What has happened then after that, others have looked to take advantage of it. Unfortunately, F1 is a competitive business which is the not-so-pretty side of our industry.

"I'm very fortunate that I have a beautiful family and a very supportive wife. I'm the only one that has been named in this. It's very challenging. The reality is there was a grievance that was raised. It was dealt with in the most professional manner by the group. Not by Red Bull Racing, but by the owners of Red Bull Racing, Red Bull GmbH, who appointed an independent KC that is one of the most reputable KCs in the land. He took time to investigate fully all of the facts. He interviewed all of the people involved, together with others of interest. He looked at everything. He had all of the facts, and he came to a conclusion where he dismissed the grievance. We move on, and we look to the future."

The press conference clearly showed that Horner has had enough of the case. He, as a person, has been in the spotlight continuously, while plenty is leaked from the 'other party'. The woman who made the accusation has otherwise never been named. Horner would not say whether Jos Verstappen is the one who caused the leaks.