Red Bull Team Boss Christian Horner’s Accuser Has Had Her Appeal Denied

It's easy to forget with how much action there has been on track in Formula 1 this year, that the 2024 season started with mostly off-track drama, much of it centering on Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner.

The accusations came from a female team employee who claimed that Horner had engaged in inappropriate behavior.

An investigation followed, but Horner was found to have not done anything wrong. Meanwhile, the accuser was placed on fully-paid suspension by the team.

However, an unnamed female employee appealed the original decision but Thursday it was announced that the appeal had been denied.

Red Bull Racing's parent company Red Bull GmbH released a statement on this decision to dismiss the appeal.

"Earlier this year a complaint raised against Christian Horner was investigated. That complaint was dealt with through the company's grievance procedure by the appointment of an independent KC who dismissed the grievance.

"The complainant exercised the right to appeal, and the appeal was carried out by another independent KC (King's Court). All stages of the appeal process have now been concluded, with the outcome that the appeal is not being upheld," the statement reads. The KC's conclusions have been accepted and adopted by Red Bull. The internal process has concluded.

"The company respects the privacy of all its employees and will not be making further public comment on this matter at this time. Red Bull is committed to continuing to meet the highest workplace standards."

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was cleared of any wrongdoing earlier this year and an appeal by the complainant was denied this week. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

This Will Likely Put The Horner Situation Behind Red Bull, But It's Got Some On-Track Things To Worry About

It looks like this situation may be in the rear-view mirror for Red Bull, but it's wild how much things have changed through the first 14 races of the season. When the Horner story broke, it was thought that it could be a major distraction for a Red Bull team that was expected to blow everyone else out of the water.

But while Red Bull got a solid start to the season and three-time champion Max Verstappen has been solid, the RB20 doesn't have the edge over its competitors like some of its predecessors have. McLaren has come on very strong, as has Mercedes had Ferrari with at least one of those teams in very good shape to win just about every weekend now.

So, with the Horner situation seemingly behind it, the team can buckle down and focus on holding on to its leads in both the drivers' and constructors' standings.