General
Calm before the storm: Turmoil within Red Bull is definitely not over
- Ludo van Denderen
On the face of it, calm seems to have returned somewhat at Red Bull Racing. Over the past few days, no new revelations concerning Christian Horner came out, nor were there any explosive interviews from the team members. It is the calm before the storm. With news that the woman accusing the British team boss of inappropriate behaviour is appealing and has also asked the FIA's ethics committee to look into the matter, it will be an explosive weekend (again) in Australia.
When Max Verstappen lands in Melbourne this week for the third Grand Prix of the season, he will find a Red Bull Racing team just as torn apart as the one he said goodbye to in Jeddah. The Verstappen camp believes Christian Horner should leave, and until that happens, the three-time world champion could possibly leave himself. As long as Horner is (still) there, Verstappen will undoubtedly be constantly asked questions about the situation within Red Bull Racing and his own future.
No Newey, but Marko in Melbourne
Adrian Newey will be absent from Melbourne - as planned. The designer has stayed behind in England to work on the RB17, the superfast street car he is developing on behalf of Red Bull. Helmut Marko will be at the event, whereas in Saudi Arabia, he still 'feared' being suspended for alleged leaks about Horner to the media. Partly because of Max Verstappen's clear stance ('Helmut goes, I go'), that did not happen. Marko will be questioned by the media about the events in Jeddah.
Horner is also bound to be asked questions again in Australia, this time about the impending appeal filed by the woman and the complaint lodged with the FIA's ethics committee. Over a week ago in Jeddah, Horner reacted sharply when repeatedly asked about the allegations made. Whether his tactics with the media in Melbourne will be different is doubtful.
British press wants answers from Horner
In the British media, in particular, the case continues to intensify. The Daily Mail has already devoted more than 200 articles to the case (!)—and there, the question is emphatically asked: 'Why doesn't Horner just admit that he had an affair from which all this misery arose?' This allegedly involved an affair between an executive and a subordinate, AND Horner once left his first wife for Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, making the case interesting for the British press.
The woman accusing Horner has a new lawyer, who must have read up on the case first. Therefore, the outcome of the appeal cannot be expected before the Melbourne Grand Prix. A response from the FIA's ethics committee is not expected soon either. So yes, there will be a Grand Prix in Australia. And yes, much of the focus will again be on the situation with Horner and within Red Bull. A prediction? Two weeks later, in Japan, it will be no different.