Content warning: this article contains discussion of sexual assault.
"Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women."
Maya Angelou
As the modern world has begun to move away from the traditional sexism of Lombardi's time, a handful of females have made their way into the paddock, not as drivers, but as engineers, commentators, journalists or strategists. This includes the 75 women who work across the the Red Bull Racing team, making up only 6% of their staff. Due to the minority of women across Formula One and an increase of female audiences, it should be expected that the attitude towards women across the grid is one of respect, inclusion, and upmost safety. While at one point it was possible to argue this was improving, it is no longer possible to say that is true.
Let's talk about Christian Horner.
On Tuesday 6th February 2024, reports emerged that Christian Horner, team principal and CEO of Red Bull Racing, was under investigation after complaints of sexual harassment were made by a female employee of the team. It was to be expected that Horner would be questioned and investigated by an external barrister for up to three weeks before a decision was made.
Despite over 100 pieces of evidence supporting the allegations, Horner's allegations were dismissed. He was cleared, free to carry on as the man at the top. Why?
No evidence outweighed the allegations, just pure masculine safety. Christian Horner is the man at the top, the head of Formula One domination, and because of his power and because he is a man, the case was dismissed, consequence free.
A month later, the female complainant was suspended. This was after Horner attempted to pay the woman off with £650,000, the behaviour of an 'innocent' man and team. To Christian Horner and his team at Red Bull, sexual harassment and assault is worth exactly £650,000. Naturally, Horner has made clear his wish to "move onwards... and focus on what is going on on track," because fast cars have always trumped women's right to safety.
To most women, the feeling that overcomes each and every one of us at the news of the colleagues suspension is unequivocal: a solidarity of anger, disappointment, disgust and for female audiences of the sport attending Grand Prix's, unwavering fear. The reaction from Horner and his team has presented a message of disrespect for women's safety. Why should any woman feel safe at future Grands Prix after this? Who is going to keep them safe if something happens? With the colleague's suspension, all hope of a community in Formula One full of inclusion, courage, awareness, and belief has slipped away.
Repeated complaints of "why didn't she (the female colleague) speak up sooner?" or "why do women never tell the police?" now have room to breathe in the Formula One community. After finally building up the bravery to speak up, she lost her job. Christian Horner kept his. After enduring months of working alongside the man who harassed and assaulted her, both before, during, and after the investigation, she stepped forward and lost it all. Her act of bravery should be taken as an inspiration to women both in and out of the motorsport community, and a reminder to men of their actions and of our courage.
So often do women hear of men complaining of their silence but then continuously make efforts to build an echo chamber where no one else is listening. This goes for the rest of the entire Formula One grid. Due to the highly publicised nature of the situation, everyone that has ties to the sport and to Horner have received questions from the media about their opinion.
To Sergio Perez, Horner is a saint who has done no wrong: "Horner has my backing... I don't get into politics." Sexual assault is not and has never been political, it is a destruction of livelihoods and confidence. If you ask them, the Formula One grid has decided it has no effect on their livelihood, so they do not care. What they do care about are the "noise and distractions," as Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris put it, taking away from their on-track performance. These are people (men) who are put on literal and figurative pedestals by people across the globe who have turned their backs on women everywhere.
In 2024, I'm sure most women did not expect to have to express that sexual assault is not a distraction nor is it noise. If you choose to label it as such in order to avoid the conversation, you are siding against the safety and respect of women. You are siding with Christian Horner and men like him. To not speak against is to stand with, the coward's option. To chalk it up to politics, distraction or noise is embarrassing. On top of feeling fearful, disgusted, and disgraced, women are left to feel embarrassed for themselves and for these men because nobody else will.
There was some resemblance of change throughout all of this, Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russel, James Vowles (Williams team principal), and Zak Brown (McLaren team principal) have shown unwavering support for women throughout this all, calling for immediate change. This has nothing to do with PR teams, it is just a pure divide between caring and not. If they wanted to speak out, they would just like some did. The people named above are the only people within Formula One to directly challenge Horner, that is four people. There has never been wake up call like this needed for this male dominated sport, this power imbalance cannot last.
Fans on social media have swarmed to condemn Horner and his supporters, with one writing "In a world full of the Formula One grid, be James Vowles." While it is always comforting to know women are not alone in this world, it has to be argued that there is a better argument to shout. In a world full of harassers, be better. Do better. Women do not cause sexual harassment, harassers do.
To women in the motorsport community and everywhere else: we hear you. We believe you. You are not on your own. You are brave and an inspiration. To men: do better, be better. Respect is not hard, you are just cowardly. To everyone: support Formula One Academy. Listen, trust, respect, and empower.
To anyone who felt uncomfortable reading this: this is your wakeup call too.