Amidst controversy, Red Bull and Christian Horner’s evasiveness spotlight a pressing need for transparency and the message sent to women.
Evasiveness and opacity have been the keywords for Red Bull, and Christian Horner in press conferences, when addressing the issue shaking the Milton Keynes team’s management.
Internally, not only has the case been classified, but the employee at the heart of the matter has been suspended by Red Bull…
Criticism is therefore mounting today about Milton Keynes.
Does Christian Horner understand that Red Bull needs to show more transparency in the future? And what message, more broadly, does Red Bull send to women, especially on this day dedicated to their rights?
On the spot, Christian Horner dodged in Saudi Arabia…
“This is a complex question because in any other major company… There’s a grievance resolution procedure in all companies, and this process is confidential, between the individuals and the company itself. I’m not at liberty to say more, unfortunately, due to these confidentiality concerns and out of respect for the company, and of course, for the other party. Because we are all bound by the same constraints. So, as much as I’d like to talk about it, I cannot due to these confidentiality restrictions. There’s a reason for that.”
“Now, the only reason this case has attracted so much attention is obviously because of the leaks and the tensions in the media, which has been very trying in many ways, especially for my family, because everything was pointed in one direction. And of course, what happened next is that others looked to profit from it.”
Is Christian Horner suggesting that certain other teams are taking advantage of this situation? Or internally at Red Bull?
“Unfortunately, Formula 1 is competitive, and there have been, obviously, elements looking to profit from it, and that’s maybe the less pretty side of our industry. So, of course, there are always lessons to be learned, but there’s a process that is governed within the company. So it’s not an FIA problem, it’s not a Formula 1 problem, it’s an internal issue to the company’s employees, and it’s the same in any large organization.”
Is there an anti-Christian Horner cabal, according to Horner himself? An anti-Red Bull plot?
“Listen, we’ve had a lot of success. We’ve won a lot of things and we are very united as a team, and that’s what we’re focusing on for the future. Obviously, there’s been a lot of talk about this situation, but I think it’s time to move on, to focus on what’s happening on the track. And, you know, we have a busy and competitive season ahead of us. And that’s what we’re focusing on.”
“You know, things have snowballed. And there’s been a lot of leaks about what is a private and confidential matter between employees and the company.”
“It’s now time to focus on the track and on what we’re here for, which is racing. And you know we’re a racing team. We have phenomenal partners who have supported us enormously throughout this journey. The team, the company, the 1,600 people working within the group, I must also thank them for their support.”
“And, yes, you know, it’s time to move on. Today, the F1 Academy comes to life with the support of the teams. Three drivers and three cars from the Red Bull group are participating. We’ve announced new partners whom we welcome into the sport. I think it’s now time to focus on this Grand Prix, and we should be talking about the cars and the drivers.”
Does the RB20 have a weakness?
Since Christian Horner wants to talk about the sporting aspect… the RB20 dominated the competition, especially in the race last Sunday in Bahrain. Does this car have no weaknesses?
“I don’t think there’s a single element to highlight in particular. The technical team, as you can see, has produced an aggressive evolution of the RB19. We’ve taken a concept that was hugely successful with the RB19, the most successful car of all time. But the entire design and production team, the supply chain, all aspects of the company have pushed the limits of this car to continue to evolve it, to push it.”
“And this car shows great ingenuity. But Bahrain, it’s just a sample of 24 races, on a specific circuit. All the circuits in the circuit and the championship are very different from each other. So let’s see how the car behaves on a completely different circuit, an urban circuit like this one, in Saudi Arabia.”
The car performs exceptionally well… but perhaps only in the hands of Max Verstappen.
Checo Pérez seemed less comfortable, as expected…
“He has always performed very well on urban circuits and has always relished these kinds of tracks with barriers and concrete nearby. So he clinched his first pole position here, in Saudi Arabia. He won the race, the Grand Prix, here last year. So he’s very confident on this type of circuit. And as we all know, confidence is a crucial element for drivers.”
Red Bull’s Crisis Transparency and Women’s Rights 8 Mars. Red Bull’s Crisis Transparency and Women’s Rights 8 Mars
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