12 months on from Horner and the infamous Google Drive email

It was an anonymous email, whose address contained the day’s date, 29 February, and had been sent to over 100 senior figures in Formula 1, including team bosses, journalists and F1’s owners.

It dropped at 6:22pm local time in Bahrain ahead of the first race of the 2024 season and contained a link to a Google Drive and the message “following Red Bull’s recent investigation and statements you will be interested to see the materials attached”.

The contents of the drive were pictures of a series of disjoined WhatsApp exchanges and images. The email’s subject was “Christian Horner investigation evidence”.

It is difficult to believe that 12 months ago the Red Bull boss had seen his integrity and position in the team called into serious doubt following a claim of inappropriate behaviour by a female employee.

Horner, who had been cleared by the team’s own internal investigation only 24 hours earlier, always denied any wrongdoing – yet found himself at the centre of intense scrutiny.

His opponents screamed for transparency. Jos Verstappen claimed Horner’s very presence in the team, where he has served as team principal since January 2005, was tearing it apart.

Horner had refused to comment on the email or its contents, but its release set the press room abuzz. What followed was weeks of speculation, legal hearings and accusations that Red Bull was imploding.

So 12 months on from the release of that email, where do we stand?

The claimant

On 8 August last year, the woman at the centre of the allegations around controlling behaviour saw her appeal dismissed. The claimant had exercised her right of appeal after the initial grievance was dismissed.

A statement from Red Bull GmbH, the race team’s parent company based in Austria, said: “The complainant exercised the right to appeal, and the appeal was carried out by another independent KC. All stages of the appeal process have now been concluded, with the final outcome that the appeal is not being upheld.

“The KC’s conclusions have been accepted and adopted by Red Bull. The internal process has concluded.”

Horner’s position

Horner benefitted from his relationship with Red Bull’s Thai owner Chalerm Yoovidhya, who holds a 51% shareholding in the company.

Yoovidhya was by Horner’s side at last year’s Bahrain Grand Prix in an evident show of support after the allegations and their relationship was subsequently strengthened as a result.

Ahead of the F175 event in London’s O2, Horner spoke to the press in a relaxed mood and he addressed the turbulence from 12 months earlier. He spoke about “a real motivation in the team to make sure we get both trophies back in the cabinet at the end of the year”.

When asked about proving a point to those who sniped from the sidelines, he added: “I don’t think we’ve got anything to prove. I think we’re going out there and going to compete and enjoy our racing.”

He looks motivated and invigorated by the challenge ahead. If anything his position has become galvanised.

Key departures

Adrian Newey, Chief Technology Officer, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Alexander Trienitz

On 1 May 2024, Adrian Newey announced he has stopped work on Red Bull’s F1 car and would leave the company in 2025. It would later emerge that he is departing for Aston Martin. Newey’s departure was understandably a shock development and one that pointed to the breakup of Red Bull’s successful management team.

How will the team cope without having the best F1 designer?

On 1 August, sporting director Jonathan Wheatley became the second long-serving staffer to announce he was leaving the team, joining the Audi F1 project.

Wheatley had been with Red Bull since 2006, the same year as Newey, and was a fundamental part of the team’s success.

We are likely to see this season just how key Newey and Whealtley’s departure are.

The view from outside the team is that it would be an undoubted loss. Internally, however, it was portrayed a clearing out the deadwood.

Horner’s relationship with Jos Verstappen

A year ago, it was explosive. You’d have said it was irreconcilable. Now, believe it or not, the two are not only on speaking terms, but are on course to meet over dinner.

Incredibly, given the bombastic claims made by Verstappen about his son Max being left with little choice but to move away from the team – and a slightly embarrassing row over an appearance in the legends parade lap at the Austrian Grand Prix, where Horner had taken some issue with Verstappen Sr driving a Red Bull F1 car around the track – the two are on speaking terms.

Jos Verstappen, Christian Horner, Team Principal, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool

Horner’s relationship with Helmut Marko

Rather like the above, the two have buried the hatchet. In what had seemed an impossible reconciliation, there had been an amicable agreement to ditch Daniel Ricciardo for Liam Lawson, who has since been promoted to replace the ousted Sergio Perez.

Max Verstappen’s mood

The internal conflict saw Max Verstappen plunged into an unwelcome tug-of-war between his father and team boss last season.

The strain was understandable yet he was still able to deliver, despite some late pressure from Lando Norris to win his fourth straight title.

The bookmakers are tipping the McLaren man to take the crown this time around, but there was something about Verstappen’s mood during pre-season testing that was refreshing.

He was noticeably upbeat, despite not posting headline-grabbing lap times.

Has Red Bull been sandbagging? Perhaps, but there was a different vibe from Verstappen. He had taken the booing from the O2 in his stride, and not bitten back at George Russell’s criticism of his driving style. He looks assured.

Ultimately, then, despite the upheaval over the past 12 months, Red Bull look rather solid as a unit heading into the new season.