Christian Horner complainant appeals against decision to clear Red Bull boss

The female employee at the centre of the case is understood to have been suspended on full pay

Red Bull’s Christian Horner was cleared of any wrongdoing by the Formula One team’s parent company (David Davies/PA) (PA Wire)

Christian Horner’s accuser has appealed against the decision to clear the Red Bull team principal after allegations of controlling behaviour.

The female employee was suspended by Red Bull after an investigation dismissed the complainant’s grievance earlier this month.

But now she has lodged a formal appeal with the F1 team’s parent company GmbH, according to PA news agency, in the latest twist to a saga that has sparked speculation surrounding Max Verstappen’s future with the team, and the prospect of Red Bull staff leaving too.

The employee, who reportedly felt ‘let down’ after the investigation, is understood to have been suspended on full pay as a direct result of Red Bull’s inquiry, which concluded at the end of last month.

The complainant was told she had acted dishonestly and received a legal letter, which gave her five working days on receipt of the letter, to appeal against the outcome of the investigation.

Horner, 50, who has always denied the claims made against him, was allowed to continue in his role when GmbH cleared him of any wrongdoing.

When asked about the matter before the recent Bahrain Grand Prix, Horner said: “There was a grievance that was raised, it was dealt with in the most professional manner by the group – not by Red Bull Racing but by the owners of Red Bull Racing, Red Bull GmbH – that appointed an independent KC, that is one of the most reputable KCs in the land, and he took time to investigate fully all of the facts.

“He interviewed all of the people involved as well as others of interest. He looked at everything and he came to the conclusion where he dismissed the grievance.

“As far as I am concerned, and as far as Red Bull are concerned, we moved on and we look to the future. The time now is to draw a line under it.”

The PA news agency has approached Red Bull Racing and its parent company GmbH for comment.