An appeal of a Red Bull employee who accused Christian Horner, head of the company’s Formula 1 (F1) racing team, of inappropriate conduct was dismissed by the energy drink firm on Thursday.
The employee’s complaint was first dismissed last March when it was found to be without merit. Since then, the employee has been suspended from the company with pay. Red Bull did not comment on Thursday about the employee’s current status at the company.
Details of the allegations have never been made public, and Horner has denied any wrongdoing.
Red Bull said on Thursday that the employee’s initial complaint was “dealt with through the company’s grievance procedure” by an independent counsel. After the employee appealed, a second investigation was conducted by a second independent counsel.
“All stages of the appeal process have now been concluded with the final outcome that the appeal is not upheld,” Red Bull said.
Horner, a 50-year-old British former racer car driver, has been Red Bull’s F1 team principal since 2005. He remained in charge of the team throughout the complaint and appeal process.
When Red Bull first dismissed the allegations of misconduct last February, the company said it was “confident that the investigation has been fair, rigorous and impartial.”
“The investigation report is confidential and contains the private information of the parties and third parties who assisted in the investigation, and therefore we will not be commenting further out of respect for all concerned. Red Bull will continue striving to meet the highest workplace standards,” the company said at the time.
The allegations caused a stir at the beginning of the new F1 season but have largely faded into the background.
During the launch of Red Bull’s car for the season last February, Horner told BBC Sport of the investigation, “Of course it is a distraction for the team but the team are very together.”
Horner added that it was “business as normal focusing on preparing for the season ahead.”
Meanwhile, Jos Verstappen, father of F1 world champion Max Verstappen, said of Horner in a Daily Mail article from in March: “There is tension here while he remains in position.”
“The team is in danger of being torn apart. It can’t go on the way it is. It will explode. He is playing the victim, when he is the one causing the problems,” Jos Verstappen said at the time of Horner.
Following Verstappen’s comments, Red Bull told CNN: “This is untrue. We are united as a team and we are concentrating on racing.”
