Christian Horner – latest: Red Bull F1 boss’s future in balance as investigation into allegations ‘complete’

Red Bull are coming under increasing pressure to resolve their investigation into F1 boss Christian Horner, with Ford criticising their future engine partner over a “lack of transparency.”

Red Bull team principal Horner, 50, strongly denies allegations of “inappropriate behaviour” from a female colleague, which were first publicised on 5 February. He is under investigation by Red Bull Racing’s parent company, Red Bull GmbH.

Horner has repeated those rebukes during public appearances at Red Bull’s car launch and pre-season testing in the three weeks since, though no formal development on the probe has been announced. An outcome is expected in the next few days.

And Ford Motor Co., who will partner with Red Bull in 2026 to form Red Bull-Ford Powertrains, are unhappy with the nature of the investigation, as well as Red Bull’s lack of response to a request for further information on 14 February.

Daniel Ricciardo has declared that RB will be looking to compete at the front of the midfield pack over the course of this season in an ambitious target for the newly-rebranded team.

“Start of the season, we need to be a little bit cautious,” he said, “The target as the season goes on is the front of the midfield but I would say now where we are, it’s probably more in the midfield.

“I’m not sure we’re yet at the front, but that is certainly our target. I know some people are quite excited about us coming into the season, but I want to play it a little bit cautious.

“We have a decent car, but we still have a lot of work to do, and the numbers we brought for the test we believe there’s still some things to find.”

The investigation into allegations over Christian Horner’s behaviour as Red Bull team principal are said to be concluded with a report finalised yesterday.

It is extensive and thought to be well over 100 pages. The report has been sent to the Red Bull GmbH board, who will ultimately decide whether Horner remains in his roles of team principal and chief executive.

A decision on whether he is to stay or go is expected to be made and communicated on either Tuesday or Wednesday though a new update seems to point to no resolution on the first of those two days.

That means any further updates on Horner’s position should not be released today.

Former IndyCar and NASCAR racer Patrick – the only woman to win an IndyCar Series race – is a regular face to British viewers of Sky Sports’ F1 coverage in the last two years, with the 41-year-old featuring as a pundit on races stateside and beyond.

Williams, the daughter of Williams F1 team founder Sir Frank Williams and team principal of Williams from 2013-2020, also features in the sixth season which was released on Friday.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has called for Red Bull’s investigation into Christian Horner to be transparent – and said the controversy is “an issue for all of Formula One”.

Horner is under investigation by the racing team’s parent company Red Bull GmbH following a claim of “inappropriate behaviour” by a female colleague.

“It is clear,” Wolff said when asked to address the allegations, “Formula One and the teams stand for inclusion, equality, fairness and diversity, and that is not only about talking about it, but living it day in, day out.

“These are just standards we set ourselves.”

“I mean in terms of talking about that, it’s not that suddenly sat here, that I can speak about things,” Verstappen said at testing last week.

“So it’s better that I just focus on my own performance because that’s already the day job.

“But I guess, of course, for everyone, it’s nice, of course, when things are resolved. But that’s the only thing that I can say about that.

“Everyone who is here, they’re all focusing on the performance of the car, as they should. Everyone knows their role and everyone is very focused on trying to make the whole package faster.”

Horner strongly denies allegations of “inappropriate behaviour” from a female colleague, with his future as the longest-serving team principal in the sport hanging in the balance while an external lawyer analyses all the evidence.

Horner, 50, insisted at pre-season testing in Bahrain on Thursday that he wants the outcome to the probe “as soon as possible”, with the first race of the 2024 Formula 1 season just one week away.

A promising karter in his teenage years, Horner raced for two years in the late 1990s for Arden in Formula 3000, then the final stage before a potential F1 seat. Yet one moment in a pre-season test, when unable to match Juan Pablo Montoya’s commitment into a high-speed corner, told him all he needed to know.

Montoya would go on to race in F1, Horner would not. Abruptly, he retired from racing at the age of 25 and opted to cross over to the management side of the Arden team.

It was there he built up his early reputation, winning junior titles. But despite his relative immaturity in a motorsport management ecosystem then dominated by elder statesmen of the sport – Bernie Ecclestone, Ron Dennis, Ross Brawn etc. – his sights were still firmly set on Formula One.

Though talks with Eddie Jordan about a takeover fell through, at the age of 31 Horner became the youngest team principal on the grid when he was trusted with overseeing Red Bull’s entry into the sport, when the company’s co-founder Dietrich Mateschitz decided to venture into motorsport by purchasing Jaguar.

Max Verstappen says he is grateful to his father, Jos, for the tough upbringing he received during his childhood in the Netherlands.

Speaking to M4 Sport, he said: “That’s exactly what I needed. Of course, sometimes I talked about why he had to be so serious and strict all the time.

“Now I’m grateful for him. Due to my childhood training, everything that came later, in Formula Three or in the first Formula One years, could no longer surprise me.”

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at what has changed for the upcoming F1 Academy season.