A hearing regarding the allegations made against Christian Horner, the team principal of the Red Bull Formula 1 team, is expected to take place on Friday. Earlier this week, it was revealed that the parent company of Red Bull initiated an “independent investigation” after becoming aware of recent allegations against Horner, which he has denied. Sky Sports F1 reported that Horner will remain in his position as team principal and CEO of Red Bull Racing while the investigation is ongoing. Horner, who has been the team boss since Red Bull’s acquisition of Jaguar in 2005, is a prominent figure in the world of Formula 1.
The timing of these allegations and the investigation is potentially disruptive for the team, as it comes just before the start of the season. Red Bull is set to launch its car next week and pre-season testing is scheduled to begin in two weeks. The fact that Red Bull’s parent company is taking the lead in the investigation, rather than handling it internally within Red Bull Racing, demonstrates the seriousness of the matter. While it is unclear what the outcome will be, German and Austrian media outlets, closely linked to Red Bull and its motorsport advisor Helmut Marko, have suggested that this could mark the end of Horner’s tenure. There have been suggestions that this situation is a result of a power struggle between the UK side of the team, led by Horner, and the branch of the Red Bull business led by Oliver Mintzlaff, following the passing of Dietrich Mateschitz in late 2022. However, these claims are currently unsubstantiated.
This situation reflects a trend of Red Bull giving more attention to its F1 team and treating it as an integral part of the business, with greater accountability. Although not as severe, a similar scrutiny was placed on Marko last year after he made derogatory comments about Red Bull Racing driver Sergio Perez. Red Bull’s official statement on the matter stated that the investigation will be conducted as promptly as possible. It is important to handle the process diligently, especially considering that the investigation relates to Horner’s alleged conduct towards an employee. The timing of the hearing is inconvenient for Red Bull, with one F1 team launching its car this week and Horner’s Red Bull Racing team set to launch its RB20 next Thursday. Ideally, the Friday hearing would provide an opportunity to resolve the situation before the Red Bull Racing event at its headquarters in Milton Keynes next week. If not, there will be speculation about Horner’s appearance at the launch, as this matter would overshadow the proceedings.