Christian Horner set for crisis talks with head of FIA over email furore

Mohammed Ben Sulayem is set to hold crunch talks with Christian Horner, the beleaguered team principal of Red Bull Racing at the Bahrain International Circuit on Friday afternoon. The president of Formula One’s governing body, the FIA, will speak to Horner as it considers how to proceed after the row around the allegations of inappropriate behaviour made against him once more engulfed the 50-year-old on Thursday.

Horner had been exonerated by an independent investigation into the allegations made by a female employee of Red Bull Racing on Wednesday with the inquiry’s decision stating the grievance had been dismissed.

However on Thursday a leaked email containing images of messages purporting to be between Horner and the female member of staff was sent to media, team members and senior personnel within F1 and the sport’s governing body, the FIA.

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Its veracity has not been confirmed nor is it clear whether the messages were included in the investigation, however the impact of the emal on the sport has been immense. Horner once more issued a denial. “I won’t comment on anonymous speculation,” he said. “But to reiterate I have always denied the allegations.”

The FIA and F1 are understood to be in close discussions to assess the impact of the furore on the sport.

The FIA is understood to be set to formally request a copy of the investigation from the team’s parent company, Red Bull GmbH – who instigated the inquiry – and are believed to be considering the impact on the sport given their regulatory position and their sporting code which specifically addresses bringing the sport into disrepute.

Article 12.2.1 f states: “Any words, deeds or writings that have caused moral injury or loss to the FIA, its bodies, its members or its executive officers, and more generally on the interest of motor sport and on the values defended by the FIA.”

Neither the FIA nor F1 have made any official comment on the investigation or its aftermath as yet as they have not seen the report, which Red Bull GmbH have said they will not release to protect the confidentiality of those involved.

On Thursday the McLaren team principal Zak Brown and the Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff both called for the FIA and F1 to insist on transparency from Red Bull, to make the report public for the good of the sport.