Red Bull’s owner has reportedly sent a ‘Thai spy’ to snoop on Christian Horner and the rest of the Formula 1 team amid the ongoing scandal.
Horner, husband of former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, was under investigation after allegations of ‘inappropriate behaviour’ were made against him by a female employee of Red Bull.
The team principal was cleared, though the claimant, who has since been suspended on full pay by Red Bull, is appealing that decision and has lodged an official complaint to the FIA.
The saga has cast a dark shadow over the start of the 2024 season, not least after texts and images supposedly related to the probe were leaked.
Furthermore, it has ignited a civil war between the key players at Red Bull which includes Horner, F1 champion Max Verstappen, his father Jos, team advisor Helmut Marko and majority owner Chalerm Yoovidhya.
A report from The Mirror claims that all parties have agreed to a ‘public ceasefire’ so that the matter does not distract from the team’s achievements on track, with Red Bull finishing 1-2 in the first two races of the season.
However, German outlet Bild also report that Yoovidhya, who owns 51% of Red Bull and has been Horner’s top supporter throughout the scandal, has sent a family member to keep tabs on the 50-year-old and the team’s entire operation.
Yoovidhya had previously taken a hands-off approach to the running of the F1 team but is now looking to be more involved, with this family member, dubbed the ‘Thai spy’, assessing things on his behalf.
Some Red Bull staff are ‘afraid’ of what the ‘Thai spy’ might report back, with fears that it could lead to a huge overhaul of their operations.
In the meantime, drivers and teams have landed in Melbourne ahead of this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, where Verstappen will be looking to continue his 100% start to the campaign.
Christian Horner investigation – what we know
If the three-time champion wins at Albert Park, he’ll equal his own record from last year for the most consecutive victories (10) in the history of the sport.
The 26-year-old is likely to get more questions about the scandal and his future with the team in the build-up to the race, after he and his dad suggested that he could end his contract early if Horner stayed or key ally Marko left.
‘The car is very good and between the engineers and Max, there is nothing going on, so that is also good.
‘Max knows how to get that part out too, but he gets a lot of questions about what’s going on and he doesn’t like that. But that’s also part of it, the other side of Formula One.’
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