Red Bull investigating F1 team boss Christian Horner over serious allegations
The team principal of the Red Bull F1 outfit has denied the allegations made against him.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has denied allegations of inappropriate behaviour levelled against him after the Formula One team confirmed the 50-year-old was under investigation. It's understood the allegation has been made by another member of staff for the British-based F1 team spearheaded by Max Verstappen, who won his third straight world championship in 2023.
Horner oversaw a record-breaking season for Red Bull in 2023 that saw the team win 21 of 22 races, with Verstappen setting a new record by claiming 17 race victories in one season. Red Bull has launched an investigation into the claims against Horner and says it is taking the allegations against its team principal "extremely seriously".
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A spokesperson for the Red Bull F1 team said: "After being made aware of certain recent allegations, the company launched an independent investigation. This process, which is already under way, 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." Horner has been Red Bull team principal since 2005 and will remain in his role during the investigation.
Christian Horner 'completely denies' claims against him
Asked about the allegations by Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, Horner said: "I completely deny these claims." BBC Sport is reporting the claims relate to an allegation of inappropriate behaviour of a controlling nature.
Horner has been team principal at Red Bull since their entry into F1 19 years ago, overseeing seven drivers' world championships and six constructors' titles. The 50-year-old is married to former Spice Girls singer Geri Halliwell and was awarded a CBE for his services to motorsport in the New Year Honours List.
Horner is the longest-serving team principal on the F1 grid, having been at the helm for Red Bull throughout an extremely successful period for the British-based team. Horner's time at Red Bull has included six constructors’ championships and seven drivers’ championship triumphs – with three of those won by Max Verstappen and four straight by Sebastian Vettel from 2010 - 2013.
The Red Bull team principal raced competitively in his younger years but retired at the age of 25 to pursue a career in F1 team management. The investigation into the allegations made against Horner comes as Red Bull prepares to launch its latest F1 car on February 15. The launch comes ahead of the new season, which is set to kick off with the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 2.
with agencies
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