Formula One owners tonight called for Christian Horner’s future as Red Bull team principal to be “clarified as soon as possible.”
The 50-year-old’s role has been in play since he was accused of “inappropriate behavior” earlier this month, accusations that intensified when Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf claimed on Friday that he was also responding to charges of a sexual nature.
Horner emphatically denies the allegations and also wants a quick verdict.
He insisted at the launch of the Red Bull car in Milton Keynes last Thursday that it will be in the opening race in Bahrain on March 2.
F1, owned by US conglomerate Liberty Media, said: “We have noted that Red Bull has launched an independent investigation into internal allegations at Red Bull Racing.”
F1 has asked that Christian Horner’s future at Red Bull be “clarified as soon as possible”
Horner, who is married to former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell, is fighting to save his career after allegations of “inappropriate behaviour” were leveled against him. He denies the allegations.
“We hope that the matter will be clarified as soon as possible, after a fair and thorough process, and will not be commenting further at this time.”
No one involved in the investigation will put a deadline on the process, which is being carried out by King’s Counsel, an external arbitrator hired by parent company Red Bull GmbH, the energy drinks company that started in F1 in 2005.
Testing begins in Bahrain on Wednesday and Horner will be there again.
A source told Mail Sport that the lawyer’s report is complete or close to completion; another says, on the contrary, that the decision will not be issued before Friday at the earliest. Those findings will be passed on to Red Bull’s board of directors to make a decision on Horner’s position.
During the launch of Red Bull’s car for the new season, Horner said it was going nowhere.
The numbers in the sport are split on the likelihood of Horner remaining in the job, around 50-50 as of Sunday night.
Horner has been the architect of remarkable success: 13 world titles, drivers’ and constructors’ championships, led by Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen.