Christian Horner – latest: Female accuser makes complaint to FIA after Red Bull appeal

Christian Horner’s accuser has appealed against the decision to clear the Red Bull team principal after allegations of controlling behaviour – and has reportedly made a complaint to the sport’s governing body, the FIA.

The female employee was suspended by Red Bull after an investigation dismissed the complainant’s grievance earlier this month. But now she has lodged a formal appeal with the F1 team’s parent company in the latest twist to a saga that has sparked speculation surrounding Max Verstappen’s future with the team, and the prospect of Red Bull staff leaving too.

The complainant was told she had acted dishonestly and received a legal letter, which gave her five working days on receipt of the letter, to appeal against the outcome of the investigation. The BBC also report that she has lodged a complaint with the FIA’s ethics committee.

After reports in the Austrian press that Horner could be fired prior to the Australian Grand Prix (24 March), Red Bull released the following statement:

“As Christian has said, he is grateful for the full support of the shareholders and that remains the case.”

Ferrari are reportedly eyeing three key Red Bull engineers as the Scuderia look to take advantage of the current unrest at the F1 world champions.

The saga involving Christian Horner and a female colleague accusing him of “inappropriate behaviour” – though the team principal was cleared after an internal probe – has uncovered numerous tensions within the Red Bull camp.

Another tumultuous weekend in Saudi Arabia saw star driver Max Verstappen threaten to leave if adviser Helmut Marko was forced out. Red Bull GmbH chief Oliver Mintzlaff played down those rumours, with all involved keen to move on despite the continued protestations of Max’s father, Jos.

However Ferrari, lagging far behind Red Bull alongside the rest of the grid this season, are looking to capitalise on the situation by signing up key aerodynamicists and performance engineers for 2025, when Lewis Hamilton joins the team from Mercedes.

Italian outlet Gazzetta Dello Sport says Ferrari are eyeing an approach to Red Bull’s leader of aerodynamic development Alessandro Germani, head of performance Ben Waterhouse and on-track aerodynamic officer David Morgan.

“It’s like anything in life, you can’t force somebody to be somewhere just because of a piece of paper,” Horner said after Saturday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

“If somebody didn’t want to be in this team, then we’re not going to force somebody against their will to be here.

“That applies whether it is a machine operator or a designer or someone in one of the support functions that runs through the business.”

The woman who accused Christian Horner of “inappropriate behaviour” says she feels “disappointed” and “let down” by Red Bull, according to reports.

Red Bull F1 team principal Horner was cleared of any wrongdoing after a three-week internal investigation conducted by an external lawyer. A day later, WhatsApp texts of a sexual nature seemingly involving the two parties were leaked to F1 personnel and the media.

Last Thursday, the female complainant was suspended by Red Bull Racing, on full pay. A Red Bull spokesperson stated: “The company cannot comment on this internal matter”.

“Enquiries and complaints are received and managed by the compliance officer, and the ethics committee where appropriate.

“Both bodies operate autonomously, guaranteeing strict confidentiality throughout the process.

“As a consequence, and in general, we are unable to confirm the receipt of any specific complaint and it is unlikely that we will be able to provide further comment on the complaints that we may receive from any parties.”

Verstappen’s Red Bull future is in the spotlight amid the in-fighting at Formula One’s dominant franchise.

The Dutchman, who won Saturday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to land his second win of the season – and his ninth in a row – opened the door to sensationally quitting Red Bull if motorsport adviser Helmut Marko is forced out.

It emerged this weekend that Marko could be suspended as a result of Red Bull’s inquiry into Horner, although the 80-year-old Austrian said prior to Saturday’s race that he expects to carry on.

However, the unrest at Red Bull has put Mercedes – seeking a replacement for Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton in 2025 – on red alert.