Toto Wolff has been a vocal supporter of transparency from Red Bull regarding the investigation into Christian Horner.
Christian Horner and Toto Wolff (via IMAGO)
Red Bull Racing initiated an independent inquiry in early February following a complaint from a female employee accusing Horner of inappropriate conduct. Horner consistently denied these allegations, and on Thursday, Red Bull announced that he had been exonerated of all charges after the attorney responsible for the investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing.
Red Bull stated that the lawyer’s findings would remain confidential and emphasized that the process was fair and unbiased. However, Wolff, the head of the Mercedes team, remains somewhat perplexed. He believes that in such cases, it is imperative for the team to be more transparent, given the gravity of the allegations. Wolff urges Red Bull and Formula 1 to provide further clarification on the matter and release the investigation reports.
McLaren’s CEO also called for more information regarding the investigation into Horner from the FIA (motorsport federation) and Formula 1 management. Brown believes that the management owes it to their fans to provide additional details. He asserts that there are numerous unanswered questions surrounding this issue.
During the first Formula 1 practice session of the year, Christian Horner was present on the Red Bull pit wall, just one day after the complaint against him was dropped. Throughout the internal investigation, Horner continued to fulfill his role as Red Bull’s team principal, emphasizing that the reigning champion squad was stronger than ever as they prepared for the upcoming season.
On Thursday, Horner interacted with important team members, including Adrian Newey, the car designer, in the paddock. Horner also played a role in leading the team from the pit wall. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has claimed the last three Formula One titles. Despite Verstappen expressing dissatisfaction with the car’s performance during his initial runs, the team showed competitiveness during the first practice session, with Verstappen finishing sixth and teammate Sergio Perez finishing twelfth.
Although it was expected that the Red Bull team would remain united even during challenging times, Verstappen and Perez have previously stated in interviews that their primary objective as a team is to achieve their goals for the 2024 season. Ultimately, the team demonstrated their unity even in the face of adversity.