The future of Christian Horner as the team principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing is expected to become clearer in the next 48 hours with the conclusion of the investigation into allegations of misconduct that have been levelled against him by a female employee.
It is three weeks since the Formula 1 team’s parent company, Red Bull Austria, confirmed that Horner had been the subject of a formal complaint by a staff member.
• Exclusive: Christian Horner set to be cleared of inappropriate behaviour
In that time the 50-year-old has faced a ten-hour grilling from an independent barrister appointed to conduct the investigation. The King’s Counsel is expected to produce a report in the region of 150 pages after gathering about 60 hours of evidence. There have also been two rounds of media interviews, first at the Red Bull headquarters in Milton Keynes and then at pre-season testing in Bahrain last Thursday.
Horner denies the allegations of inappropriate behaviour and has continued to operate in his role despite the intense scrutiny, even continuing to work alongside the unnamed woman. They were both in the office in Milton Keynes on Monday.
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But Ford, which has signed a £200 million partnership with the all-conquering team to develop a new hybrid engine for 2026, called on Sunday for a swift resolution to the crisis, and it is understood that moment could arrive as early as Tuesday.
The pressure is certainly on, with Ford clearly uncomfortable with a situation that escalated when a report in the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf claimed the grievance filed by the woman extended beyond controlling behaviour and contained an allegation of sexual misconduct, based on messages allegedly sent by Horner.
Sources have since suggested that no such evidence was submitted in the complaint itself, but the chief executive of the Ford Motor Company has urged Red Bull to end the uncertainty as soon as possible. In a letter, Jim Farley expressed his displeasure with “the unresolved allegations of inappropriate behaviour by Red Bull Racing leadership”, noting it had been 11 days since the car giant had first requested further information on the matter.
“As we have indicated previously, without satisfactory response, Ford’s values are non-negotiable,” Farley wrote. “It is imperative that our racing partners share and demonstrate a genuine commitment to those same values. My team and I are available at any time to discuss this matter. We remain insistent on, and hopeful, for a resolution we can all stand behind.”
The investigation sits with Red Bull Austria, and is outside the F1 team’s jurisdiction.
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If the complaint is upheld, sources believe swift action could follow. But team insiders remain fearful for Horner even if he is exonerated, having confidently predicted that would be the outcome when he was first asked about the allegations.
Horner has been more exposed since the death of Dietrich Mateschitz, the Red Bull co-founder who was a powerful ally of the man who has masterminded seven F1 drivers’ championships in 19 years at the helm. While Horner is also said to retain support from Chaleo Yoovidhya, who owns 51 per cent of Red Bull, opinion on the team principal is said to be divided among some senior figures.
With the opening race of the F1 season in Bahrain this weekend, those close to Horner say he certainly wants to see a swift conclusion to the matter. His Spice Girl wife, Geri, remains supportive but both she and her husband are said to be increasingly feeling the strain.
