Why Red Bull boss Christian Horner is under investigation

• Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is under investigation
• Red Bull GmbH, the parent company of Red Bull Racing based in the Netherlands, is now looking at Horner’s inappropriate behaviour
• Red Bull aims to hasten the probe to avoid disruption

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner is under investigation following claims by an employee of inappropriate behaviour.

He, however, maintains that his focus remains with the team in a race to win a fourth F1 constructor’s championship title.

Why Christian Horner is Under Investigation

Red Bull GmbH, the parent company of Red Bull Racing based in the Netherlands, is now looking at Horner’s inappropriate behaviour as alleged by a team’s employee.

However, the nature of these allegations remains undisclosed to the public and the Red Bull CEO-cum-team principal has categorically refuted every accusation.

However, recent reports indicate that Red Bull aims to hasten the process, spurred by claims from the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf suggesting inappropriate conduct of s3xual nature.

Christian Horner with his wife Geri Horner. Photo. Daily Advent

Formula 1 has released a brief statement confirming the start of an internal probe at Red Bull.

He says that he is cooperating fully with all the investigation organs involved in the probe. Reportedly, Red Bull has expedited their investigation into Horner following fresh allegations emerging from the Netherlands.

Initially, a decision wasn’t anticipated until shortly before the Bahrain Grand Prix. This development suggests a potential acceleration in the timeline for resolving.

What is Red Bull Saying About Christian Horner Probe?

A spokesperson from the team when contacted told the press that there is nothing to say until the investigation is completed.

“It would not be appropriate for us to comment before the investigation is completed.”

According to The Times, Red Bull GmbH was prompted to expedite the probe in a bid to end the uncertainty and disruption the accusations have caused to staff.

Horner spent nine hours last week in London meeting with an independent attorney that Red Bull picked to hear his side of the story.

The Red Bull CEO was present for the team’s RB20 introduction on Thursday last week in Milton Keynes. While he acknowledged it was a “distraction,” he also stated he had no plans to stand down.

A settlement offer of £650,000 ($820,000) is alleged to have been delivered to the female employee by the De Telegraaf just before the story being publicized. However, Horner’s attorney has refuted this, according to the Daily Mail.

Sergio Perez and Christian Horner. Photo/F1

Will Christian Horner Step Down as Red Bull Team Principal?

During the launch, Horner told reporters he is focused on the 2024 season and is not stepping down.

“Inevitably there has been a distraction but the team are very together. Everybody’s focused on the season ahead. It’s been very much business as normal. The support has been fantastic,” he said.

“Obviously, my focus is very much on the season ahead. It has been business as normal. There is an investigation which I am working with fully so that is very much going on in the background whilst preparing for the season ahead,” Horner added.

Formula 1 has already released a brief comment about the probe in response to a recent statement by Ford Motorsports CEO Mark Rushbrook.

Christian Horner. Photo/Sports Illustrated

Ford is expected to work with Red Bull Powertrains starting in the 2026 season. F1’s commercial rights holders want to see a swift resolution to the Red Bull probe, without specifically naming Horner.

Formula One said that it is working expeditiously to bring the matter to a close.

“We have noted Red Bull has instigated an independent investigation into internal allegations at Red Bull Racing. We hope that the matter will be clarified at the earliest opportunity, after a fair and thorough process and we will not comment further at this time,” F1 statement read.

Meanwhile, The RB20 showcases a strikingly aggressive upgrade, marking a departure from the bodywork trends introduced by the team in 2022.

Notably, the standout feature is the upright radiator inlet, positioned tightly inboard and extending to the bottom of the chassis, amidst a design that appears to reduce surface area overall.

Interestingly, the shape of the inlet bears resemblance to the original zero sidepod Mercedes from 2022, albeit utilized distinctly.

Red Bull retains the sidepods, leveraging the vertical inlet to create a significantly pronounced undercut at the front.