If you believe the established F1 press Christian Horner is fighting for his place as the head of the Red Bull Racing Formula One team. Having been accused of “inappropriate and controlling behaviour” the longest established F1 team principal is mired in a lengthy investigation instigated by the Austrian holding company which owns the world champion constructors.
As TJ13 has previously commented, revelations of this nature usually divulge incremental details following the shock announcement. Yet in Horner’s case no further details of his alleged misdemeanours have emerged despite the F1 press citing unknown sources left right and centre.
BBC have spurious sources
The BBC is reporting that F1 insiders who they have contact with do not expect Horner to survive in his role. The report claims Horner is a powerful and influential man both at Red Bull and in the sport of F1 but has overstepped the mark in how he has dealt with the stereotypical female victim of a white middle aged man in a position of power
Christian Horner is the longest standing F1 team boss and was recruited in 2004 by energy drinks mogul Didi Mateschitz to revive the fortunes of the ailing Jaguar racing team he acquired. He has steered the organisation from an ‘also ran’ outfit to one that has won seven driver titles and six constructor championships and the team sits on the cusp of being the third most successful F1 team of all time in terms of Grand Prix won.
The genius decision made by Horner in Red Bull Racing’s fledging years was to recruit the greatest F1 car designer, Adrian Newey, to leave his unhappy home at McLaren. Newey was constrained by the then McLaren matrix management system which restricted his artistry and had seen the once great British iconic racing marque become an ‘also ran.’
Under Horner’s leadership Red Bull are now just 13 race wins away from being the third most successful F1 team of all time. Despite having joined the sport 55 years after Ferrari’s debut the team from Milton Keynes is approaching half the total of the Maranello GP victories in less than a third of the number of races entered.
Laughable charges for an F1 boss
Of course the boss of any uber competitive global sporting entity will require the highest standards and efforts of those working within a 1000 string team of personnel. There will be those who believe they can live the F1 dream but quickly understand the commitment required is not what they are prepared to give.
The charges laid at Horner’s door of being “controlling” are laughable given the lack of direction and control some of F1’s most historic teams have lacked for more than a decade. Ferrari would give their right arms for someone who can control their never ending return to title winning ways
