Christian Horner wants F1 Red Bull future resolved ‘as soon as possible’

Christian Horner is hoping for a speedy resolution regarding his future at Red Bull. He's currently in a tough spot as the team principal, and his Formula One career is at stake. Red Bull GmbH, which owns Red Bull Racing, disclosed on 5 February that Horner is currently under investigation after he was accused of engaging in "inappropriate behaviour" with a female co-worker. Horner, on his end, fully denies the allegation.

On Thursday, Horner spoke to the media, along with four other F1 team leaders, during the second day of a three-day test in Bahrain. The upcoming season will begin at the Sakhir circuit next Saturday. When asked why he has not stepped down as the team principal and CEO of Red Bull Racing while the investigation is ongoing, Horner responded by saying, "As you may know, there is an ongoing process that involves me, and as such, I'm unable to comment on it."

After being asked about the potential resolution timeline of the investigation, Horner expressed that he cannot disclose any information regarding the process or timeframe. He apologized and emphasized that he is not authorized to discuss the matter. Although everyone wants the investigation to be concluded promptly, he remains unable to provide any comments about the process.

The PA news agency has received information from reliable insiders that a solution may be reached prior to the 2nd of March, which is the scheduled start of the first race. Toto Wolff, who is the team principal for Mercedes, made a statement on Wednesday requesting that the investigation into Red Bull be conducted in a transparent manner. He added that the situation is significant for the entire Formula One community.

During a press conference on Thursday, Zak Brown, the CEO of McLaren, expressed agreement with Wolff's statement on the severe nature of the allegations. He emphasized that McLaren values diversity, equality, and inclusion and holds themselves to the highest standards regarding these matters. These values are important not only to the team but also to their partners and to the larger Formula One community.

The Red Bull Company is currently conducting an inquiry and we trust that it will be done in a clear and open manner. The FIA and Formula One have stressed the need for quick action since these headlines are not what Formula One wants or needs right now.

Last year, Red Bull managed to win almost all the 22 races, except for one as Max Verstappen took home the world championship. In his upgraded car, the Dutch driver performed remarkably well on the first day in Bahrain, setting a strong pace and finishing 1.1 seconds ahead of the other drivers.

The testing schedule for Thursday was disrupted after Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes and Charles Leclerc's Ferrari were hit by a drain cover that had become loose at turn 11 in Bahrain. The incident caused both drivers to hit the debris, prompting officials to stop the running session with just under two hours left. They tried to fix the track, but it took almost 40 minutes, resulting in a delayed lunch break. Unfortunately, the test couldn't resume until after the break due to the prolonged repair time.

According to Ferrari, the collision resulted in harm to the undercarriage of Leclerc's Ferrari, but it has been dealt with by replacing the part. We don't know yet the full extent of the damage caused to Hamilton's Mercedes. The good news is that both Hamilton and Leclerc were unscathed in the accidents. In November of last year, a cover for a water valve came off the recently installed surface of the Las Vegas street track and cut into Carlos Sainz's Ferrari at a speed of 210mph.