Red Bull executives threatened to resign if Horner was fired

That there has been internal unrest within Red Bull Racing for over a year is an understatement: there were and are sporting challenges, the departure of some key people within the organization, and the scandal surrounding team principal Christian Horner - who was accused of inappropriate behavior by a female colleague.

Horner did not step down - as the team principal responsible for the results - and continues to proudly walk through the F1 paddock, with no intention to hand over his role. In this respect, Horner is clearly supported by Chalerm Yoovidhya, Red Bull's major shareholder and thus the racing team's as well.

A portion of the staff then held Horner in high regard, and still does. De Telegraaf even reports that last year, the most important heads within Red Bull Racing sent a letter to Red Bull's top brass stating they would leave if Horner was dismissed from his roles as team principal and CEO. The names of the top members of staff are not mentioned by the newspaper.

A year ago, Adrian Newey was still employed at Red Bull Racing. It seems unlikely that the master designer signed the letter at the time. It is a public secret that one of the reasons behind his departure from Red Bull Racing was Horner's behavior. Now, Newey has complete his move to the Aston Martin team.

It is, however, uncertain if whether the signatories of the letter then, would still resign if Horner was dismissed now.