The 2024 Method 1 racing season solely formally started on March 2, however there’s a scandal already pulling focus from the season’s 24-race lineup. Christian Horner, head of the Purple Bull F1 staff, has been accused of misconduct by a staff worker and had a bevy of sexually suggestive messages leak over the previous few weeks. Under, discover every little thing it is advisable to know concerning the still-developing state of affairs:

Who’s Christian Horner?

Horner is a British motorsport government and former racing driver who has led the Purple Bull Method 1 staff since 2005. Horner can also be the husband of former Spice Lady Geri Halliwell, who appeared by his facet at F1’s Bahrain Grand Prix this month at the same time as Horner’s messages have been leaking. The 2 have been married since 2015 and have a younger son.

What has Horner been accused of?

Early in February of 2024, experiences surfaced {that a} feminine Purple Bull worker advised the group’s father or mother firm that Horner had engaged in “inappropriate, controlling conduct.” Purple Bull carried out an inside investigation and formally cleared Horner on February 28, however a mere day later, a flood of sexually suggestive texts and images allegedly despatched between Horner and his accuser have been leaked to distinguished F1 officers. Jos Verstappen, a former racing driver and the daddy of opening-season Grand Prix winner Max Verstappen, then advised the Each day Mail that he felt Horner ought to be faraway from his place, saying: “The staff is at risk of being torn aside. It could actually’t go on the way in which it’s. It is going to explode. He’s enjoying the sufferer when he’s the one inflicting the issues.”

How has Method 1 responded?

The FIA (or Fédération Internationale de l’Car), the governing physique of motorsports, put out an announcement in (partial) response to the formal criticism lodged with its ethics committee by Horner’s accuser. The assertion, which was launched this week, learn: “On the FIA, [inquiries] and complaints are acquired and managed by the Compliance Officer, and the Ethics Committee the place applicable. Each our bodies function autonomously, guaranteeing strict confidentiality all through the method. As a consequence, and basically, we’re unable to substantiate the receipt of any particular criticism and it’s unlikely that we can present additional touch upon the complaints that we might obtain from any events.”

Why was Horner’s accuser suspended from Purple Bull?

On March 7, it was reported that Purple Bull had allegedly suspended the feminine worker who had accused Horner of misconduct with full pay. (A spokesperson for Purple Bull merely referred to as it an “inside matter” and declined to remark additional.) Horner’s accuser has reportedly appealed the choice made by Purple Bull’s investigation into the allegations.