Horner Speaks Out: 'Intrusion On My Family Is Now Enough'

Thursday, 07 March 2024 at 18:00

Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner spoke to the press on Thursday, ahead of the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, about the situation he has faced over the last few days.

A lot has been said about Christian Horner ever since the media received an email with alleged screenshots of messages between him and the employee who accused him of "inappropriate behavior."

According to F1 Insider, the situation at Red Bull is super tense. On the one hand, the 50-year-old told the media that the Austrian team has never been stronger from within.

On the other hand, Max Verstappen's father, Jos Verstappen, said the team is on the edge of being torn apart if Horner retains his position as team principal.

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The Brit obviously wants to remain in his position as he otherwise would have already resigned under all the pressure and criticism that he faces. Speaking to the media at Jeddah Corniche Circuit, Horner said:

"The only reason that this has gained so much attention, obviously, is because of the leakage and the tension that there's been drawn in the media. Which has been very, very trying, in many respects. Particularly for my family, because it's all been focused very much in one direction."

According to @PhilDuncanF1 Horner, his wife, and family have been "hugely supportive" over the last few days. But the team principal asserted the intrusion into his family "is now enough."

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In the meantime, it has been suggested that Max Verstappen might be about to leave Red Bull due to the tense situation in the team. But the Dutchman clarified he has no such plans. Horner believes "others" have tried to take advantage of the situation at Red Bull.

"What has happened then after is that others have looked to take advantage of it. Unfortunately, Formula 1 is a competitive business, and there's been obviously elements looking to benefit from it. That's perhaps the not-so-pretty side of our industry."

This topic has been taking attention away from what F1 is actually about. It certainly wasn't the best advertisement for this sport, and Horner believes it is time to leave it behind. He added:

"I think the time now is to look forward and draw a line under it. We're here to go racing. We're here as a Formula 1 team, and the time now is to focus on what is going on on track, the performance of the cars and the drivers, and where the spotlight should be during a grand prix weekend."