Christian Horner has insisted that Red Bull have ‘never been stronger’ as a team after he was cleared over allegations of inappropriate behaviour. The 50-year-old was the subject of a lengthy investigation following a complaint from a female Red Bull employee to the team’s parent company in Austria.
Red Bull announced on Wednesday that Horner had been cleared of any wrongdoing following a ‘fair, rigorous and impartial’ investigation process. He broke his silence on the news when quizzed by Sky Sports on Thursday ahead of practice for this weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix.
“I’m just pleased that the process is over,” said Horner. “I obviously can’t comment about it, but here, the focus is very much now on the Grand Prix and the season ahead and trying to defend both of our titles. I can’t give you any further comment, but the process has been conducted and concluded.”
When asked if he regretted the public nature of the saga, Horner added: “Again, I’m not going to give you any further comment on it, but I’m pleased to be here in Bahrain and with the team focused on the season ahead. The team has never been stronger.”
Horner continued in his usual role throughout the investigation process, with Red Bull opting not to suspend him pending the outcome. He was present at the RB20 launch event in Milton Keynes and was also heavily involved in the Red Bull garage as they carried out their pre-season testing programme in Bahrain last week.
Red Bull issued a statement to confirm that Horner had been exonerated following the investigation, which was carried out by a top independent barrister and lasted for several weeks.
The statement read: “The independent investigation into the allegations made against Mr Horner is complete, 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 is one of the most successful team principals in the sport’s recent history, having led Red Bull to seven Drivers’ Championship titles and six Constructors’ Championship triumphs. He has been with the team since they entered F1 in 2005 and remains tied down until 2026 after signing a long-term contract extension three years ago.
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