Ever since the investigation into Christian Horner over allegations of inappropriate behaviour began this month, the silence surrounding him, his Red Bull team, the inquiry, even the accusations themselves, has been deafening. On Thursday, at the launch of Red Bull’s new car, it was finally broken amid the Sturm und Drang of flashing lights and thumping music, albeit on a set that at times seemed stage-managed to deliver a message as much as for the spectacle itself.
Red Bull have been Formula One world champions for the past two seasons with a car that was the class of the field and have every expectation of repeating the feat in 2024. This event, planned long before any complaint was made about Horner, was doubtless expected to be a celebratory, euphoric affair.
Fans had been invited to see the new car unveiled inside Red Bull’s inner sanctum – in this case one of the aircraft hangar-size buildings on its campus, decorated with some former race cars, giant suspended bolts of black cloth and atmospheric lighting rigs – and revel in the reveal of the RB20.
By launch week, however, the only question being asked was whether Horner would even attend given the turmoil of the preceding days and that the investigation into an allegation of “controlling” behaviour against him by a female employee remained ongoing.
The 50-year-old, along with his drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez, duly turned up, and did their level best to stick to the script as they took to the stage to answer questions that so studiously avoided recent events one might have considered the previous week had been but a fever dream.
Yet it was simply impossible to ignore the elephant in the room. Indeed, at this stage Red Bull might have wheeled out the new car with Taylor Swift perched on the rear wing and every eye in the room would still have remained on Horner.
The seriousness of the allegations cannot be downplayed and it is clear the investigation is not taking them lightly. Horner has been the architect of the Red Bull team since its inception in 2005 and alongside Mercedes’ Toto Wolff is one of the two most successful team principals in the modern era, but his future remains in doubt as the inquiry continues. It is impossible, indeed, to see a future for him as team principal if it finds his behaviour was unacceptable.
It must have weighed heavy on Horner as he has fought for his career and it is hard not to say it showed. Ordinarily entirely at ease centre stage, dictating the narrative, playing to camera, Horner is a born performer. This time, when he might have been positively fizzing with ebullience, the man on stage seemed a little diminished, stiffer and more muted than usual.
He was perhaps not entirely aided by what felt at times like scripted answers which were almost set-building in the shadow of the inquiry. There were repeated references to the importance of team culture, of inclusiveness. The suggestion that it was in part late nights, long hours and sacrifices that contributed to the passion and fun that informed that culture and that people were the greatest asset.
Horner did then face the press in small, subdued huddles, the technological might of the F1 world champions for some reason reduced to having participants perching on folding chairs in a horseshoe around him, while the transitory and performative nature of the event was emphasised as the aircraft hangar was stripped of its boxes of light and sound to its stark metal carcass in the background.
He took the questioning well, with a quiet confidence that suggested he felt he had made a strong case of denying the allegations to the investigation as he stated his firm belief he would still be in charge come the first round in Bahrain.
Certainly after they had pulled the curtain up and revealed the car, Horner seemed determined to end on an optimistic note that he would be part of the team’s future.
“What we have done in the last 20 years is nothing short of phenomenal and the next 20 is tremendously exciting,” he said. “The future is very bright. Hopefully we can continue on the journey we have enjoyed and has been so successful in the last 19 seasons.”
The presentation finished with a film of the very first Red Bull car from 2005 driving alongside this year’s contender at Silverstone. Doubtless that too was planned in advance to mark the 20th car as Horner surely believes there will be many more models under his tutelage to come. Equally, it cannot be ruled out that they come to stand as the bookends of his career.
