Remember when Game of Thrones was good? Let’s try to relive some of that glory.
Yes, don’t worry, this is still a Formula 1 blog. But the events at Red Bull do seem pretty reminiscent of the storylines when Game of Thrones was at its peak. And even though Christian Horner has been cleared of all charges, there still seems to be a power struggle going on that would fit well within the setting of Game of Thrones. Let’s run through what has happened recently.
Quick disclaimer: I am in no way trying to minimize the alleged actions of Horner towards this as of yet unnamed woman. If indeed true, then that’s gross and deserves to be punished. It should probably also be noted that most of what follows is unconfirmed by Red Bull itself, but it has all been reported by reputable outlets that are usually very well informed. So with all that out of the way, let’s meet the denizens of our Seven Kingdoms.
The House of Horner
Central to our story is Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner, our Hand of the King. Horner has been at Red Bull Racing since its start in 2005, brought on by the man who back then sat on the throne: Dietrich Mateschitz. Mateschitz wasn’t just the one in charge of Red Bull Racing, but he was also the founder and president of all of Red Bull GmbH. King Mateschitz ruled Red Bull in a manner that kept it all coherent and good, leaving the running of the racing team to his Hand.
And just like how the rulers of Westeros had their small council, so does Christian Horner. Grand designer Adrian Newey. Technical director Pierre Waché. Sporting Director Jonathan Wheatley. Head of Aerodynamics Enrico Balbo. Director of race engineering Gianpiero Lambiase.
But as is so often the case, the real power rarely lies with the man in the spotlight. Because the Master of Whispers also sits on the small council. Doctor Helmut Marko may only be considered a special advisor to the hand of the king, but in reality he holds the future of the realm in his hands. He is the one who decides which drivers live or die. Operating outside of the regular confines of an F1 team, Marko can only be fired by the higher-ups at Red Bull GmBh.
But there are others involved in the power plays of Red Bull. House Verstappen holds a serious sway in the team. On the outside looking in is the Ford company, which will provide engines for Red Bull Racing from 2026 onwards. And Chalerm Yoovidhya holds 51% of the stakes in the company.
After the death of Mateschitz
All these people worked together well during the reign of king Mateschitz. But after he passed away in 2022, the relationships began deteriorating. Horner and Marko found themselves on opposing sides in an internal power struggle, with everyone else choosing sides. House Verstappen sided with Helmut Marko almost immediately. The heir of Mateschitz, his son Mark, has kept quiet but reportedly also prefers to see Horner gone. The same goes for the new king, Oliver Mintzlaff. Yoovidhya however, had Horner’s back.
The small council is divided. Their primary loyalty lies with the team, which puts them into the difficult position of choosing what to do. Newey is siding with Horner for the most part, but also prefers to keep his position. Waché is reported to be in a similar situation, though he has had interest from other teams. Reports fluctuate that Newey had an alliance with Horner, that firing one of them meant the other one would also leave. Meanwhile Wheatley in turn was being eyed as the possible replacement for Horner if the Hand of the King would be deposed.
The allegations
And it is against this backdrop that the allegations of improper behavior by Horner were first launched. Releasing simultaneously in Dutch and German media, it was alleged that Horner behaved inappropriately towards a female employee. It’s unclear if it was sexual in nature or not.
Are the allegations true? Impossible to say. Horner denies it and the investigation cleared him, but De Telegraaf claims to have seen the messages themselves and swears by their authenticity. Unverified versions of these messages have since leaked to several journalists and via them to the public.
Regardless of whether or not they’re true, all the details surrounding it seem to sketch a very clear picture. House Verstappen has had a very tight relationship with De Telegraaf for years, so them having the scoop is probably no coincidence. Helmut Marko, who normally has all the diplomatic skills of a pineapple, was suddenly very coy when asked about his opinions on the whole matter. And even Ford was annoyed that they were left in the dark.
It has all the makings of a targeted attack against the House of Horner. If the allegation is indeed real, then there is a good chance that this poor woman is being used in a power play against Horner. If the allegation isn’t real - and the leaked texts that presumably were sent from Horner suggest very heavily that this whole thing was staged - then this was a first attempt to get rid of Horner.
One thing we can be sure of though: this may have been the end of the investigation, but it definitely won’t be the end of the whole saga. When you play the game of thrones, you either win or you die, and there are some people very angry that Horner still lives.