The opening of the new Formula One season was dramatically overshadowed on Thursday evening after a leaked email purporting to contain images of messages between Christian Horner and the female member of staff who made a complaint against him was sent to media, team members and senior personnel within F1 and the sport’s governing body the FIA.
Less than 24 hours after the result of the investigation into Horner for alleged inappropriate behaviour had exonerated the Red Bull team principal and dismissed the grievance, the sport was once more engulfed in speculation and conjecture after the anonymous email circulated around the paddock at the first race of the season in Bahrain.
declaring the grievance had been dismissed but that it would not be revealing any details of the complaint, what materials or evidence the investigation had seen or the findings it made to protect the confidentiality of those involved.
The inquiry lasted weeks and is understood to have resulted in a report of 600 pages. Horner has been under intense scrutiny since the matter was made public on 5 February, during which time he repeatedly, emphatically denied any wrongdoing. The decision not to release any information provoked disquiet in the paddock with the Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, demanding transparency from the company and other senior figures within F1 also believe that after such a high profile affair that brought the sport’s reputation into question, transparency is required to ensure the issue has been dealt with correctly.
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