Christian Horner will remain the team principal of the Red Bull Formula One team after being absolved of allegations of ‘inappropriate behavior’.
Red Bull GmbH, the parent company of Red Bull Racing, disclosed on February 5th that Horner was under scrutiny following an accusation made by a female colleague.
Christian Horner vehemently refuted the allegation, and the 50-year-old, who arrived in Bahrain on February 28th for the season’s opening race, has been exonerated of any misconduct.
Horner has refrained from making any public statements. He is anticipated to be present on Red Bull’s pit wall in Bahrain for practice on February 29th. The complainant also retains the right to appeal the verdict. A statement from Red Bull GmbH stated:
“The independent investigation into the allegations made against Mr. Horner is concluded, and Red Bull can confirm that the grievance has been dismissed.”
“The complainant has a right of appeal. Red Bull is confident that the investigation has been fair, rigorous, and impartial.”
‘‘The investigation report is confidential and contains the private information of the parties and third parties who assisted in the investigation, and therefore we will not be commenting further out of respect for all concerned. Red Bull will continue striving to meet the highest workplace standards.’’
Horner, who has consistently maintained his innocence, underwent eight hours of questioning by a lawyer earlier this month at an undisclosed location in London.
Throughout the internal investigation, he remained engaged in official Red Bull activities, including a car launch in Milton Keynes, where he stressed it was “business as usual,” as well as attending pre-season testing in Bahrain last week.
Awaiting the outcome, Horner returned to England before flying back to the Gulf kingdom via a private jet on Wednesday.
As the Red Bull team principal for the past 19 years since their entry into Formula One, Horner holds the distinction of being the longest-serving boss on the grid.
Under his leadership, Horner has steered the team to seven drivers’ world championships and six constructors’ titles.
Red Bull’s recent dominance in the sport saw them clinch victory in 21 out of 22 races last year, with Dutch driver Max Verstappen securing a new record of ten consecutive victories on his way to his third title.
In response to the controversy surrounding Horner, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton remarked earlier on Wednesday:
“We always have to do more to try to make the sport and the environment for people to work in feel safe and inclusive.”
“Any allegations have to be taken very seriously. We don’t know everything that has gone on but it needs to be resolved because it is hanging over the sport.”
“It will be interesting to see how it is dealt with, and the effect that it may or may not have on the sport moving forward. It is a really important moment for the sport to make sure that we stand true to our values.”
Horner, married to former Spice Girls singer Geri Halliwell, received a CBE for his contributions to motorsport in the New Year Honours list. Verstappen commented before Horner’s exoneration:
“He is very important otherwise he wouldn’t have been in that position for such a long time.”
“Everyone is focused on what happens on track and we are in a good mood to get going again.”