Formula 1 World Fumes Over Red Bull Suspension Of Employee Who Made Harassment Allegations

Red Bull Racing currently leads the pack on the Formula 1 grid when it comes to speed.

But the powerhouse team is dead last right now when it comes to the public relations battle.

It didn’t help its own cause on Thursday when it reportedly suspended the female employee who made sexual harassment allegations against team principal Christian Horner.

Red Bull performed an internal investigation and cleared Horner of all charges. But an alleged leaked Google drive from the case surfaced during last weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix practice and threw the team back into turmoil.

Jos Verstappen, the father of Red Bull star driver Max Verstappen and former F1 driver in his own right, has criticized Horner for “playing the victim” throughout the process.

“There is tension here while he remains in position,” Jos Verstappen, Max Verstappen’s father, told DailyMail.com after his son’s Bahrain Grand Prix victory

“The team is in danger of being torn apart. It can’t go on the way it is. It will explode. He is playing the victim, when he is the one causing the problems.”

While the identity of the employee has not been made public, several outlets reported that the team suspended said employee. Horner, meanwhile, has continued on in his role of team principal.

This announcement led to a firestorm from fans across the Formula 1 world.

“So, @redbull and @redbullracing are basically giving female employees the following message: Stay silent, or you will be punished,” one fan tweeted.

“Sit on the right side of history. Whether you’re a troll, bored or genuine…stop supporting Red Bull. Their ethics, standards and morals are abhorrent. They’re a horrible team and incite poison in Formula 1 #F1,” said another.

Horner, notably, has not been found guilty of anything to this point. But from a sheer perception stand point, it’s a brutal look for the team at the forefront of the sport.