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.
