Red Bull’s owners are split over whether or not Christian Horner should leave the team in light of the ongoing investigation into his conduct, according to reports. Horner is being probed over allegations of inappropriate behaviour, which he denies, following a complaint by a female employee to Red Bull’s parent company in Austria.
The saga has cast a dark cloud over Red Bull ahead of the new season, with Horner’s future said to be hanging in the balance as the investigation continues. The 50-year-old has been working in his usual role over the last few weeks and was in attendance at Red Bull’s season launch event on Thursday.
The investigation has created a divide among Red Bull’s owners in Austria and Thailand over Horner’s place in the team, according to F1-insider. It is said that the Austrian arm of the company, which owns a 49 per cent stake, have made it clear that Horner ‘must leave’.
However, this view is not shared by the Thai side of the business, who are said to be refusing to suspend or dismiss Horner. Their 51 per cent stake means their verdict is final despite the Austrian side reportedly being concerned that the saga will become a breaking point for the entire company.
Express Sport have reached out to Red Bull for comment.
It remains to be seen if the investigation into Horner will risk derailing Red Bull’s efforts to stay ahead of their rivals when the new season gets underway. It could reportedly drag on until after next month’s Bahrain Grand Prix, with Horner likely to face subsequent rounds of questioning after being grilled by a top lawyer last week.
The Red Bull team principal spoke for the first time about the saga on Thursday, telling media including Express Sport: “The support from within the business, of our partners, within the industry, has been overwhelming.
“Obviously there’s a process that’s ongoing at the moment, some allegations have been made which I fully deny and I’m complying obviously with that process and will continue to do so until its conclusion. I think it’s been very clear and the position of Red Bull has been that it’s business as normal.
“Of course, the allegations are a process that Red Bull are running through and have confirmed that process externally, but obviously there’s a job to do and I deny fully the accusations that have been made, and my role obviously continues.”
Asked if the investigation could prove to be a distraction for the team, Horner replied: “I think at moments of uncertainty it brings the team together and I’ve never seen a team more together, or more supportive than it is.
“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.”
Follow our Express Sport page on Instagram here.
