"Insider" reports

Horner case: “She is angry and intimidated”

Christian Horner seems to be firmly in the saddle at Red Bull despite the allegations.(Bild: ASSOCIATED PRESS)

The employee of the Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team who has made allegations against team boss Christian Horner is currently scared, angry, but also determined to bring the truth to light. A friend of the family told the BBC. 

The way she has been treated, the allegations and Horner's behavior have made her angry, but also scared and intimidated. This was explained by a friend close to her family. The suspended Red Bull employee feels increasingly lonely as a result of what has happened.

"It's impossible for people to understand how she is feeling. Every time I asked her something, she burst into tears and said she had no one to talk to because she wasn't allowed to talk," explained the insider. 

The woman filed a complaint against the team boss in December and could not understand how the 50-year-old could be cleared of wrongdoing in the course of the internal investigation. "She is determined to bring the truth to light," emphasizes the family friend. 

Lack of transparency
A Red Bull spokesperson emphasized to the BBC: "Both parties have signed a confidentiality agreement, so they cannot talk about it." The employee was suspended on full pay and Horner has never publicly commented specifically on the allegations.

"Everyone can form their own opinion as to whether this was an appropriate relationship," emphasizes the employee's friend and continues: "As Christian has said, he wants to draw a line under the matter. Now, if this was a fair and independent process and there was no wrongdoing, why isn't this being brought forward in a transparent way and why doesn't Christian deny that these WhatsApps are genuine?"