'Suspending Horner temporarily is best for him and Red Bull'

Like no other, Red Bull usually manages to stand out in a positive way in the media, with spectacular achievements or through the performance of their sports teams. But there is currently an atmosphere of negativity surrounding the Austrian group, caused by unrest within the racing team. Partly their own fault, Frank van den Wall Bake believes. One of the Netherlands' leading sports marketers thinks the company tried to settle the affair surrounding team boss Christian Horner in the wrong way.

Hardly a day goes by without a new chapter in the saga surrounding Christian Horner, who has been accused of inappropriate behaviour by a female colleague. For weeks now, the case has dominated the international news pages, and it looks like this will not change any time soon. "They obviously don't like this," stated Van den Wall Bake, who has coached Ajax, the Dutch national team and the Volvo Ocean Race, among others, in conversation with GPblog.

Van den Wall Bake critical of Red Bull

According to Van den Wall Bake, Red Bull and Red Bull Racing are largely to blame for the fact that the matter continues to occupy minds. "This kind of thing happens everywhere. If you act immediately and decisively, the damage is limited. But if it keeps simmering on, the damage only gets worse. Of course, hardly anyone knows the exact situation. The longer it all takes, the more the situation of, 'Where there's smoke, there's fire'."

It was leaked via the (Dutch and German) media in January that a former colleague of Horner's accused him of inappropriate behaviour. Red Bull GmbH had a lawyer - paid for by Red Bull GmbH - conduct an "independent" investigation into the allegations, and it cleared Horner. Further details about the case have hardly been shared by Red Bull and Red Bull Racing. It is now clear that the woman is appealing and has also complained to the FIA's ethics committee.

'Red Bull judged themselves'

Van den Wall Bake commented, "In my view, Red Bull should have acted much faster and said much more quickly: 'We distance ourselves from these rumours. Whether they are all true or not, we distance ourselves from any form of inappropriate behaviour. And we will let a lawyer or institute approved by all parties involved investigate whether it is true or not'."

"They made the mistake of having a lawyer hired by Red Bull do the investigation. Especially when then the result is known quite quickly and Horner is exonerated, you quickly get people thinking that they have judged themselves, because that lawyer was paid by Red Bull. I think it's unwise that they did it that way. They are now getting the bill for that and I did not expect it like that from a big corporation like Red Bull."

US companies on inappropriate behaviour

A tinge of negativity currently surrounds the name 'Red Bull'. For the energy drinks company, this is not a good thing, and certainly not for sponsors of their F1 team. This is especially true when Oracle is the main sponsor and Ford has partnered with Red Bull Racing. These are big companies from a country—the United States—where there is a zero-tolerance policy on inappropriate behaviour.

"They [Red Bull] should have factored that into their considerations of how to respond. By the way, I would find it very unwise if Oracle now says it is leaving Red Bull Racing. Because that would destroy everything they have built up over the past few years with this sponsorship in one fell swoop. What they could do is issue a statement along the lines of: 'We disapprove of  inappropriate behaviour, but we continue to sponsor Red Bull Racing. Because we are sponsors of the Formula One team, not a single employee of the racing stable."

"These are all things that you have to take into account in crisis management, and in my view a big group like Red Bull has not handled that well. Now new details keep coming out. They have to communicate well now. That they remain silent I think is very unwise. Every person accepts it when you make a mistake, provided you admit it immediately. But if you persist in your position, or keep repeating that you have not made a mistake, you only make things worse," Van den Wall Bake said.

'Horner better spend time on the sidelines'

With the upcoming appeal, Christian Horner will undoubtedly get all the limelight again in the coming period. Van den Wall Bake advises taking a decision that is unpleasant for the team boss, to take some of the pressure off. "You could suspend him temporarily and during the investigation," he said. "Horner feels encouraged by the 51 per cent support from the Thai side of Red Bull. But 51 per cent or 80 per cent, none of that matters."

"In today's world, communication is key: on any issue, full disclosure. And yes, temporarily putting Horner on suspension. That is for his own good and best for the team. If it turns out he is innocent, they should reinstate him in the team immediately," concludes the sports marketer.