‘Disappointed’ Horner sext accuser ‘feels let down’ by Red Bull team
CHRISTIAN Horner’s accuser says she feels ‘let down’ by the Red Bull team after the F1 chief was cleared by an independent investigation.
The woman at the center of the sexting storm who was suspended by the Milton Keynes-based company last week is said to be disappointed with the way Red Bull has handled the scandal.
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The F1 chief was cleared of charges of controlling behavior, but the next day a dossier of text messages between Horner and the female staffer was leaked.
The woman was suspended from Red Bull Racing headquarters because her ‘honesty was questioned’.
A friend of the employee told me MailOnline: “She is so disappointed with how it all turned out, especially because she did everything by the book.
“She has raised her concerns privately and has done everything right, but she feels very let down by the company.
“They suspended her because she followed the proper procedure carefully and correctly.
But despite all that, she was suspended from the job she loves and from a sport in which she is highly regarded.
“The lack of support is noticed and she is so disappointed with the treatment by her employer.
‘Look what happened. She complained that there had been a supposedly transparent, independent investigation, Horner was acquitted and then she was suspended.”
The staffer’s friend continued by casting doubt on Red Bull’s investigation, adding: “Questions need to be asked about the Red Bull investigation, transparency would give confidence in what is happening to her.
“Who at Red Bull was charged with establishing the facts? Who at Red Bull had access to all the confidential material used?
“Who at Red Bull is making all these decisions and who at Red Bull is doing their best to determine the source of these leaks?
“She just can’t get over the fact that she filed a complaint and was suspended. All she wants is transparency in the process.”
They added that the staffer has had many supportive messages from friends and family and while she has been inundated with offers to share her side of the story, she has chosen to remain silent for the time being.
The comment comes amid claims that the employee is reportedly preparing to appeal.
An F1 source told the outlet that the way the sext storm has been handled “will discourage other women, who may have had similar issues in F1, from coming forward.”
They told the newspaper: “She asked for none of this and now she has been suspended and the message is very clear: it means women should stay quiet and not speak out or you will lose your job.”
It comes after former F1 driver Christijan Albers warned there is “a lot more to come” as he noted the Red Bull chief has a “frightening amount of power”.
In conversation with the Dutch outlet The Telegraph he said it was “terrifying”. Horner has so much power, despite the accusations against him.
He said: “Because the way it’s all picked up and just waved away, you’re making someone on the other side extra angry. I think there will be a lot more to come out.
“Back then [Horner has] This urge and envy to still be able to get that number one position and cut everyone’s heads off.”
Meanwhile, Max Verstappen’s father Jos has backed the woman and called for Horner to be dropped for £8million a year, accusing him of tearing the team apart.
Horner and his wife Geri put on a united front this weekend in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as they watched Max Verstappen claim another victory.
Speaking at the press conference, the F1 chief said he was keen to ‘draw a line’ under the scandal and that it was time to ‘focus on what’s happening on track’.
Despite seemingly standing by her husband throughout the drama, Geri is said to be “in turmoil” over the sexting storm.
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