Christian Horner has come out fighting and confirmed his long-term commitment to Red Bull. The team principal is facing misconduct allegations and is currently at the centre of an internal investigation into the matter.
Horner did not hide away and was keen to show it was business as usual at the Red Bull car launch on Thursday.
Horner said: “Look I’m absolutely committed to this team. I’ve been here since the beginning, I built this team, there’s been highs and lows along the way as you’ve seen in some of the videos that you’ve seen earlier.
“We’ve won 113 races, we’ve won seven drivers’ World Championships, we’ve won six constructors’ World Championships in 19 seasons. And that’s in the history books now but it’s what lies ahead that’s always important.
“And so my focus is on the future, is on Red Bull Powertrains becoming… operating a start-up engine business. We have an advanced technology business that is going to be producing the first Red Bull track car. And of course, there’s an awful lot going on on the campus and investment on the campus as you can see.”
Despite the allegations, Horner is content with the support received from top figures in the Red Bull organisation. And the 50-year-old insisted that Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez are fully behind him.
He added: “Look we’re one team. The support from the shareholders I’ve had has been fantastic.
“I think the support from the shareholders following the death of Dietrich Mateschitz… again you can see the commitment there is to Formula One, to Red Bull Powertrains, to advanced technologies… the track car we’re producing with Adrian Newey. So yes, I think we’re one team and that support has been very clear.”
Horner is unsure when the investigation will draw to a close but did confirm that he will be present at pre-season testing in Bahrain next Wednesday.
Horner was also quick to brush off concerns that the speculation concerning his future is serving as a distraction to the team. “Look I think at moments of, you know moments of uncertainty it brings the team together,” he explained.
“And I’ve never seen a team more together, or more supportive than it is. And you know, everybody is focused on one thing, which is the performance of that car, to go out and defend both of the world titles that we’ve worked so hard to achieve over the last couple of years.
“So the car is what everybody is invested in, and I look forward to seeing it in action in Bahrain next week.”
