F1: Red Bull suspend woman who accused Christian Horner of inappropriate behaviour in shock twist

Red Bull have suspended the woman who accused team principal Christian Horner of inappropriate behaviour, according to a BBC report.

The Formula 1 team's decision comes a week after completing an internal investigation in which Horner was given the clean chit.

One of Red Bull's spokespersons said they “cannot comment on this internal matter,” with teams preparing for today’s practice sessions.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

According to reports, the employee has not been at Red Bull racing headquarters since Monday (Mar 4) after being told to stay home.

What did Red Bull claim?

Ever since the scandal first broke out, Horner has denied the allegations. During the Bahrain GP, Horner said he was "absolutely confident" he would stay at the helm for the remainder of the season.

A statement from Red Bull dismissing the claims against him last week read:“The independent investigation into the allegations made against Mr Horner is complete, and Red Bull can confirm that the grievance has been dismissed. The complainant has a right of appeal."

"The investigation report is confidential and contains the private information of the parties and third parties who assisted in the investigation, and therefore we will not be commenting further out of respect for all concerned."

What happened after?

Notably, a day after Red Bull dismissed the complaint against Horner, an anonymousmail was sent to journalists across the globe with numerous screenshots showing Horner's alleged inappropriate correspondence with the woman.

Even before the season started, the inquiry surrounding Horner had dominated the pre-season testing. During the Bahrain Grand Prix last week, the father of triple-world champion Max Verstappen said Red Bull risked being torn apart if Horner stayed as the team principal.

"There is tension here while he remains in position," Jos Verstappen told a British news outlet.

"The team is in danger of being torn apart. It can't go on the way it is. It will explode. He is playing the victim, when he is theonecausing the problems."

Earlier this week, media reports claimed that Jos held a meeting with Mercedes team leader Toto Wolff, leading to aspersions that he was plotting his son's move to the German team if Horner refused to leave his position.

With Lewis Hamilton set to join Ferrari in 2025 and Wolff yet to announce hisreplacement, experts believe that Verstappen could make the shock move.

(With inputs from agencies)