LONDON (Reuters) – Christian Horner, the team principal of the Red Bull Formula One team, will undergo a company hearing on Friday in response to a complaint filed against him. The sources have indicated that the hearing will take place at the team’s Milton Keynes factory.
There has been no official confirmation from the reigning world champions or Red Bull’s Austrian energy drink giant owner regarding the nature of the allegations. Red Bull Racing is scheduled to launch their new car on Feb. 15 and testing to commence in Bahrain on Feb. 21, followed by the opening race on March 2, and the team has yet to comment publicly on the accusations.
According to the BBC, the alleged complaint pertains to “inappropriate behavior of a controlling nature”. In response to these accusations, Horner has stated to the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf that he completely denies these claims.
Red Bull Austria has released a statement confirming that they are investigating a complaint against Horner, without providing specific details. The statement also mentioned that the investigation is being carried out by an independent specialist barrister, and that the company takes these matters extremely seriously.
Christian Horner, who is married to former Spice Girls singer Geri Halliwell, led his team to a dominant season in Formula One history last year. Dutch driver Max Verstappen secured his third title in a row, and Red Bull won 21 out of the 22 races. Horner has been the longest-serving team boss in Formula One, leading Red Bull into the sport in 2005 when he was the youngest team principal in the sport.
Under his leadership, the team has accomplished six constructors’ championships and seven drivers’ titles, making them favorites for another season of domination. If Horner were to step down, the impact on the sport would be significant.
The Austrian motorsport consultant and former racer Helmut Marko, who is not a team employee, has also been a significant figure at Red Bull. He is not believed to have any leadership ambitions. Last September, Marko received a written warning from the sport’s governing body after making controversial comments about the performance of the team’s Mexican driver Sergio Perez.
Reports have surfaced implying tensions between Horner and Marko have arisen since the death of Red Bull’s co-owner Dietrich Mateschitz in October 2022 and new leadership at the energy drink brand.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Christian Radnedge)
