Red Bull team principle Christian Horner under investigation for inappropriate conduct. What do we know?
The investigation of Red Bull’s principal comes at a time of unprecedented success. It’s been a few years since the team took Formula 1 racing by storm.
Among one of the most recognizable faces in the sport today, the Red Bull principal’s situation is of grave concern to Formula 1. With that in mind, it makes sense that the organization has essentially demanded a quick resolution to proceedings.
Formula 1 wants Christian Horner’s investigation to end ASAP
With an investigation into Red Bull team principal Christian Horner’s conduct now in full swing, Formula 1 has made it clear that it would like a resolution to the situation to follow post haste. If you missed it, Horner has been at the center of an independent investigation over the last few weeks, after accusations of inappropriate behavior were made against him. As you likely well know, the 50-year-old is by far one of the most famous personalities in the sport, largely due to Red Bull’s numerous wins on the track, as well as his prominent role in “Drive to Survive”, a documentary series from Netflix which has brought a much greater level of attention to the sport since its release.
Where specifics are concerned, it remains unclear as to what exactly Horner did, however, it was reported on Friday by De Telegraaf out of Holland that WhatsApp messages between Horner and a female employee of Red Bull had been observed. This of course brings us to Formula 1 itself and the organization’s reaction to growing concerns about Horner. “We have noted Red Bull has instigated an independent investigation into internal allegations at Red Bull Racing,” F1 said in its statement. “We hope the matter will be clarified at the earliest opportunity after a fair and thorough process and we will not comment further at this time.”
What has Christian Horner said?
For the purpose of context, it’s worth noting that Horner has been in control at Red Bull since 2005. During his tenure, we’ve seen seven titles won between Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen. Indeed, the latter is looking to win his fourth championship in a row in the 2024 season. Yet, as things stand, there may be complications ahead. For his part, Horner has adamantly denied all allegations that have been leveled against him, stating on Thursday at the team’s 2024 car launch, that it’s been “business as normal.”
“Obviously, there’s a process that’s ongoing at the moment,” Horner said. “Some allegations have been made which I fully deny and I comply, obviously with that process and will continue to do so. I think it’s been very clear, and the position of Red Bull has been that it’s business as normal. Obviously there’s a job to do and I deny fully the accusations that have been made. My role obviously continues.” Be that as it may, one has to assume that it’s in the best interest of all parties that this process comes to an end as soon as possible. To be clear, the 2024 season starts on February 29th in Bahrain with the first race weekend, before the opening race which is set for March 2nd.