Reason behind Christian Horner investigation emerges as Red Bull boss stands accused
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has been placed under investigation by his team following an internal complaint.
The investigation into Red Bull team principal Christian Horner reportedly centres around his aggressive management style. The 50-year-old is currently the subject of a probe from an external barrister after the company hierarchy was made aware of complaints from within. For his part, the team boss has vehemently denied the allegations.
The news of the investigation into Horner’s conduct broke on Monday after a report from Dutch publication De Telegraaf revealed that the team principal was at the centre of an investigation following an allegation of misconduct towards an employee of the Red Bull team.
In response to the news, a Red Bull spokesperson stated: “After being made aware of certain recent allegations, the company launched an independent investigation. This process, which is already underway, is being carried out by an external specialist barrister.
“The company takes these matters extremely seriously and the investigation will be completed as soon as practically possible. It would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.”
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A report from AP has since added further clarification to the matter, stating that the investigation into Horner’s alleged misconduct centres around his ‘aggressive management style’.
When Horner was asked about the allegations, he told De Telegraaf: “I completely deny these claims." Advisor Helmut Marko was also questioned about the investigation, telling Motorsport-Total: “I’m not saying anything about it.”
This news comes as an unwelcome distraction for the reigning world champions, who are looking to defend both the Drivers’ Championship and the Constructors’ Championship when the season gets underway in Bahrain next month.
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Red Bull dominated the 2023 season from start to finish with the RB19 proving to be one of the most impressive pieces of F1 machinery in the sport’s history. Horner watched on from the pit lane as Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez combined to win 21 out of a possible 22 Grands Prix.
Horner was an integral part of the team’s record-breaking success in 2023 and he has been since joining the team ahead of their foundation back in 2005. The 50-year-old is one of the most recognisable figures in the paddock and a star of Netflix’s Drive to Survive docuseries.
However, the Milton Keynes-based team will now have to enter the launch and pre-season period with Horner’s investigation hanging over their heads as Red Bull consider their next steps.