12 months on from Horner and the infamous Google Drive email

It was an nameless electronic mail, whose handle contained the day’s date, 29 February, and had been despatched to over 100 senior figures in System 1, together with crew 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 current investigation and statements you may be to see the supplies hooked up”.

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

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

Horner, who had been cleared by the crew’s personal inner investigation solely 24 hours earlier, all the time 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 crew, the place he has served as crew 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 electronic 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 crew’s father or mother firm primarily based in Austria, stated: “The complainant exercised the best to enchantment, and the enchantment was carried out by one other unbiased KC. All levels of the enchantment course of have now been concluded, with the ultimate consequence that the enchantment just 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 aspect ultimately 12 months’s Bahrain Grand Prix in an evident present of assist 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 crew 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 something to show. I believe we’re going on the market and going to compete and luxuriate in our racing.”

He seems motivated and invigorated by the problem forward. If something his place has develop into galvanised.

Key departures

Adrian Newey, Chief Expertise 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 might 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 crew.

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

On 1 August, sporting director Jonathan Wheatley turned the second long-serving staffer to announce he was leaving the crew, becoming a member of the Audi F1 mission.

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

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

The view from outdoors the crew 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 stated it was irreconcilable. Now, imagine it or not, the 2 aren’t solely on talking phrases, however are on track to fulfill 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 crew – and a barely embarrassing row over an look within the legends parade lap on the Austrian Grand Prix, the place Horner had taken some situation 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

Slightly just like the above, the 2 have buried the hatchet. In what had appeared an not possible 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 crew boss final season.

The pressure was comprehensible but he was nonetheless capable of ship, regardless of some late stress 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 unique 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 type. He seems assured.

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