12 months on from Horner and the notorious Google Drive e-mail

It was an nameless e-mail, whose tackle contained the day’s date, 29 February, and had been despatched to over 100 senior figures in Formulation 1, together with staff bosses, journalists and F1’s house owners.

It dropped at 6:22pm native time in Bahrain forward of the primary race of the 2024 season and contained a hyperlink to a Google Drive and the message “following Crimson Bull’s latest investigation and statements you’ll be to see the supplies connected”.

The contents of the drive had been photos of a sequence of disjoined WhatsApp exchanges and pictures. The e-mail’s topic was “Christian Horner investigation proof”.

It’s troublesome to consider that 12 months in the past the Crimson Bull boss had seen his integrity and place within the staff referred to as into critical doubt following a declare of inappropriate behaviour by a feminine worker.

Horner, who had been cleared by the staff’s personal inside investigation solely 24 hours earlier, at all times denied any wrongdoing – but discovered himself on the centre of intense scrutiny.

His opponents screamed for transparency. Jos Verstappen claimed Horner’s very presence within the staff, the place he has served as staff principal since January 2005, was tearing it aside.

Horner had refused to touch upon the e-mail or its contents, however its launch set the press room abuzz. What adopted was weeks of hypothesis, authorized hearings and accusations that Crimson Bull was imploding.

So 12 months on from the discharge of that e-mail, the place will we stand?

The claimant

On 8 August final 12 months, the girl on the centre of the allegations round controlling behaviour noticed her enchantment dismissed. The claimant had exercised her proper of enchantment after the preliminary grievance was dismissed.

An announcement from Crimson Bull GmbH, the race staff’s dad or mum firm based mostly in Austria, mentioned: “The complainant exercised the best to enchantment, and the enchantment was carried out by one other impartial KC. All levels of the enchantment course of have now been concluded, with the ultimate end result that the enchantment isn’t being upheld.

“The KC’s conclusions have been accepted and adopted by Crimson Bull. The interior course of has concluded.”

Horner’s place

Horner benefitted from his relationship with Crimson Bull’s Thai proprietor Chalerm Yoovidhya, who holds a 51% shareholding within the firm.

Yoovidhya was by Horner’s facet eventually 12 months’s Bahrain Grand Prix in an evident present of help after the allegations and their relationship was subsequently strengthened in consequence.

Forward of the F175 occasion in London’s O2, Horner spoke to the press in a relaxed temper and he addressed the turbulence from 12 months earlier. He spoke about “an actual motivation within the staff to verify we get each trophies again within the cupboard on the finish of the 12 months”.

When requested about proving a degree to those that sniped from the sidelines, he added: “I do not assume we have got something to show. I feel we’re going on the market and going to compete and revel in our racing.”

He appears to be like motivated and invigorated by the problem forward. If something his place has change into galvanised.

Key departures

Adrian Newey, Chief Know-how Officer, Crimson Bull Racing

Photograph by: Alexander Trienitz

On 1 Might 2024, Adrian Newey introduced he has stopped work on Crimson Bull’s F1 automobile and would go away the corporate in 2025. It will later emerge that he’s departing for Aston Martin. Newey’s departure was understandably a shock improvement and one which pointed to the breakup of Crimson Bull’s profitable administration staff.

How will the staff cope with out having the most effective F1 designer?

On 1 August, sporting director Jonathan Wheatley grew to become the second long-serving staffer to announce he was leaving the staff, becoming a member of the Audi F1 venture.

Wheatley had been with Crimson Bull since 2006, the identical 12 months as Newey, and was a basic a part of the staff’s success.

We’re prone to see this season simply how key Newey and Whealtley’s departure are.

The view from exterior the staff is that it could be an undoubted loss. Internally, nevertheless, it was portrayed a clearing out the deadwood.

Horner’s relationship with Jos Verstappen

A 12 months in the past, it was explosive. You’d have mentioned it was irreconcilable. Now, consider it or not, the 2 should not solely on talking phrases, however are on the right track to satisfy over dinner.

Extremely, given the bombastic claims made by Verstappen about his son Max being left with little alternative however to maneuver away from the staff – and a barely embarrassing row over an look within the legends parade lap on the Austrian Grand Prix, the place Horner had taken some concern with Verstappen Sr driving a Crimson Bull F1 automobile across the monitor – the 2 are on talking phrases.

Jos Verstappen, Christian Horner, Workforce Principal, Crimson Bull Racing

Photograph by: Crimson Bull Content material Pool

Horner’s relationship with Helmut Marko

Somewhat just like the above, the 2 have buried the hatchet. In what had appeared an unimaginable reconciliation, there had been an amicable settlement to ditch Daniel Ricciardo for Liam Lawson, who has since been promoted to exchange the ousted Sergio Perez.

Max Verstappen’s temper

The interior battle noticed Max Verstappen plunged into an unwelcome tug-of-war between his father and staff boss final season.

The pressure was comprehensible but he was nonetheless in a position to ship, regardless of some late strain from Lando Norris to win his fourth straight title.

The bookmakers are tipping the McLaren man to take the crown this time round, however there was one thing about Verstappen’s temper throughout pre-season testing that was refreshing.

He was noticeably upbeat, regardless of not posting headline-grabbing lap instances.

Has Crimson Bull been sandbagging? Maybe, however there was a distinct vibe from Verstappen. He had taken the booing from the O2 in his stride, and never bitten again at George Russell’s criticism of his driving model. He appears to be like assured.

Finally, then, regardless of the upheaval over the previous 12 months, Crimson Bull look quite stable as a unit heading into the brand new season.